TDN RISING STARS

September 10, 2011 - CURRAGH, Race , Lst Stk, EUR €40,000, 6f, 14.4000

Born To Sea (Ire), c, 2, 2009 by Invincible Spirit (Ire)

1st Dam: Urban Sea (Hwt. Older Mare-Fr at 11-14f, G1SW-Fr, GSP-Eng & Ger, SP-Can, $1,585,676), by Miswaki
2nd Dam: Allegretta (GB), by Lombard (Ger)
3rd Dam: Anatevka (Ger), by

Owner: Christopher Tsui
Breeder: Sunderland Holdings Ltd
Trainer: John Oxx

One of the most keenly anticipated debuts in recent times took place at The Curragh yesterday, and there was a sense that Born To Sea was about more than just a famous family history as he struck a chord on this first go. Backed into favoritism despite his trainer's warning that he would receive an educational ride, the last progeny of the great Urban Sea managed to upstage his half-sibling Sea the Stars (Ire) by getting his career off to a winning start. Unhurried early while positioned behind the leaders, the bay, who carries a striking resemblance to that recent great, was temporarily short of room inside the final quarter. But he received an out in time to reel in Pearl In the Sand in the final 75 yards under mainly hand riding. "I did my best to tell everybody that he wasn't expected to win first time and not to be expecting too much," said trainer John Oxx. "His brother was beaten first time out, and we don't send them out to win first time--it's about getting a nice experience. The first run is about education. To win a listed race first time is pretty good." Oxx added, "He's more precocious then his brother and could have been out earlier--as early as April. We deliberately waited with him until July, when the plan was to run here on Oaks weekend, but he got sore shins the week before the race." Oxx continued, "Here he is, much later than he should have been, and this wasn't an ideal day as he doesn't like the wind much. However, he has the ability to overcome these things, and Johnny [Murtagh] said the pace was slow and he did well to quicken off that pace. He won comfortably and was quite green, which is understandable." As for what's next he said, "There is the [Oct. 30] G3 Killavullan S. at Leopardstown for him, and that would be his only other run this year. If he has some of the ability of his brother and is able to win something good along the way, it will be great. But we are not expecting him to be his brother all over again." Murtagh remarked, "He's very genuine and straightforward and is a horse who will keep on improving. He's not as quiet as his brother, who was bomb proof at the start--he's a bit more flighty and would have a go at you. He will improve a lot, as he needed a day out, but from day one he's been very professional and picked everything up very quickly. I'm expecting him to go on to bigger and better things, and he's a very exciting horse, but we don't want to get too excited." Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €26,000. *1/2 to Urban Ocean (Fr) (Bering {GB}), GSW-Ire; Melikah (Ire) (Lammtara), SW-Eng, G1SP-Eng & Ire, $127,600; Galileo (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), Hwt. 3yo Colt-Eng at 11-14f, Hwt. 3yo Colt-Ire at 9 1/2-11 and 11-14f, Ch. 3yo Colt-Eur, MG1SW-Eng & G1SW-Ire, $2,250,614; Black Sam Bellamy (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), Hwt. 3yo-Ity at 11-14f, G1SW-Ire & Ity, G1SP-Ger, GSP-Fr, $719,717; All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), GSW & G1SP-Eng, SW & GSP-Ire, $298,797; My Typhoon (Ire) (Giant's Causeway), GISW-US, $1,308,361; Sea The Stars (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Hwt. 3yo-Eng at 9 1/2-11f & 11-14f, Hwt. 3yo-Fr at 11-14f, Hwt. 3yo-Ire at 9 1/2-10 1/2f and 10 1/2-13f, Horse of the Year and Ch. 3yo Colt-Eur, MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Ire & Fr, $6,797,494; and 3/4 to Cherry Hinton (GB) (Green Desert), GSP-Ire.