TDN RISING STARS

July 21, 2022 - Leopardstown, Msw, EUR €16,500, 8.0F, .0000

Tower of London (Ire), C, 2, 2020 by Galileo (Ire)

1st Dam: Dialafara (Fr), by Anabaa
2nd Dam: Diamilina (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
3rd Dam: Diamonaka (Fr), by Akarad (Fr)

Owner: D Smith, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & Westerberg
Breeder: Lynch Bages, Ltd. & Camas Park Stud (Ire)
Trainer: Aidan O'Brien

Hotfooting it from Sandown where he had partnered the exciting Stoute colt Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Ryan Moore was in the unusual position of steering two TDN Rising Stars at two different tracks in the same day on Thursday as Ballydoyle's Tower Of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) planted the seeds of another Derby dream for Rosegreen at Leopardstown. Sent off the 7-4 favourite for the Frank Conroy Irish EBF Maiden over a mile, the full-brother to the Irish Derby and St Leger hero Capri (Ire) was quickly away before being anchored with one behind throughout the early stages. Moving smoothly on the outer passing the two-furlong marker, the imposing May-foaled bay overwhelmed Fleetfoot (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) a furlong later and despite veering left on the run to the line was still able to register an impressive 2 3/4-length verdict over that Bolger runner, with a length back to Magnetar (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in third.

Tower Of London is the first of the nine foals out of Dialafara (Fr) (Anabaa) to win on debut as a 2-year-old and, given the comfort of this success, it can only mean that Ballydoyle's ninth juvenile TDN Rising Star of 2022 and Galileo's 40th in all is destined to dine at the top table given normal progression. O'Brien was full of praise. "He has shown loads of class at home and is a very classy colt," he said. "He's a Beresford and Futurity Trophy horse, but he could also be one for the [seven-furlong G2] Futurity], as his work has been short at home and he's shown plenty of speed."

"He's been working like a horse that could go back to seven, so we'll see what's in the Futurity nearer the time and decide but we won't be in any panic with him as he's a proper middle-distance horse for next year," O'Brien added. "Ryan was going to ride him forward, but four went on and he was very green and babyish so Ryan sat in and taught him plenty. When he got there, he didn't know where he was. He's a big, scopey horse."

Tower Of London is currently the last known foal out of the aforementioned Dialafara, who was a EUR175,000 purchase from The Aga Khan Studs' draft at the 2010 Arqana December Mixed Sale and who is another who has been solely mated with Galileo so far. Alongside Capri, she is also responsible for the G3 Loughbrown S. winner Cypress Creek (Ire) and the G3 Stanerra S. winner Passion (Ire) who was also third in the G1 Irish Oaks, the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G2 Ribblesdale S. Capri, who presaged his two Classic victories with success in the aforementioned Beresford in 2016, was second on his debut at The Curragh and while that was over seven furlongs, Tower Of London comes across in every way as a pacier individual.

The fact that Dialafara's 4-year-old son Brazil (Ire) won the Cheltenham Festival's Fred Winter Hurdle in March only serves to underline the stamina gift that this family provides, with the G2 Prix de Malleret-winning and G1 Prix Vermeille-placed second dam Diamilina (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}) connected to the G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Bauer (Ire) (Halling). There is miling pace in the pedigree, however, with the Malleret-placed third dam Diamonaka (Fr) (Akarad {Fr}) producing Diamond Green (Fr) (Green Desert) who was runner-up in the G1 St James's Palace S., G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.