By Tom Frary
Bred by Jim Bolger and trained by a Brit who stands comparison in Mark Johnston, Gear Up (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) had all the right credentials on a special afternoon for Redmondstown Stud and duly made all for G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud glory. Tough and resilient when successful in the seven-furlong G3 Acomb S. at York Aug. 19 before finishing fourth in Newmarket's G2 Royal Lodge S. tackling a mile Sept. 26, the Teme Valley 2 syndicate's €52,000 Goffs Orby bargain relished this step up to 10 furlongs in testing conditions as James Doyle executed a masterclass from the front. Shaking off the attentions of Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) turning into the straight, the 27-1 shot saw off the non-staying G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Tiger Tanaka (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) and Jessica Marcialis but that was not all. Tackled latterly by Godolphin's Botanik (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}), he had to dig deep to prevail but was equal to the task for a short-neck verdict from that rival, with the previously unbeaten 13-10 favourite Makaloun (Fr) (Bated Breath {GB}) 1 3/4 lengths behind in third. “It wasn't necessarily the plan to make the running, but he was very comfortable there and Franny Norton told me that last time in the Royal Lodge they went very slow and he was caught for speed,” the winning rider explained. “He was still very green turning for home and tried to hang left most of the way up the straight, but it was only inside the last furlong that he was finding his best stride. He's very tough and courageous, a typical Mark Johnston horse, and he stays well and has now won on all sorts of ground so hopefully he has a bright future.”
On a day when Godolphin just missed in two of the leading contests, the runner-up put up an improved performance and Lisa-Jane Graffard said, “Botanik ran a superb race and we are delighted with him. Mickael Barzalona said that he ran very nicely–he felt that Botanik was very honest and still slightly immature, so he should hopefully progress further next year.” Jean-Claude Rouget said of The Aga Khan's impressive G3 Prix de Conde winner Makaloun, “It was a different race to what he is used to–he is normally closer to the pace or in front but this time because of the draw we waited and he finished well. He was bumped a few times, so nothing was ideal and as he has had five runs we'll give him a long break and see where we start off next year.”
Gear Up is a full-brother to Bolger's G3 Eyrefield S. winner Guaranteed (Ire), with the dam Gearanai (Toccet) being a half-sister to the Argentinian group 3 winner Plainswoman (Arg) (Zensational) and the dam of the G3 Anglesey S. and G3 Tyros S. runner-up Theobald (Ire) also by Teofilo. The third dam is the four-times grade I winner and Kentucky Oaks heroine Dispute (Danzig), whose descendants include the GII Golden Rod S. winner West Coast Belle (Tapit) and the G3 Round Tower S. scorer Maoineach (Congaree) whose 2-year-old colt New Treasure (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) emulated her success in that Curragh contest this year. Dispute is a full-sister to the GI Champagne S. and GI Cowdin S.-winning sire Adjudicating and a half to the GI Flamingo S.-winning sire Time For a Change (Damascus). Gearanai's yearling full-brother to the winner topped the recent Tattersalls Ireland September Yearlings Sale @ Newmarket when sold to the Hong Kong Jockey Club for £325,000, while she also has a colt foal by Parish Hall (Ire).
Saturday, Saint-Cloud, France
CRITERIUM DE SAINT-CLOUD-G1, €150,000, Saint-Cloud, 10-24, 2yo, c/f, 10fT, 2:21.99, hy.
1–GEAR UP (IRE), 126, c, 2, by Teofilo (Ire)
1st Dam: Gearanai, by Toccet
2nd Dam: Plaintiff, by Seeking the Gold
3rd Dam: Dispute, by Danzig
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€52,000 Ylg '19 GOFOR). O-Teme Valley 2; B-Jim Bolger (IRE); T-Mark Johnston; J-James Doyle. €85,710. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 4-3-0-0, €123,234. *Full to Guaranteed (Ire), GSW-Ire, $170,221. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Botanik (Ire), 126, c, 2, Golden Horn (GB)–Autumn Lily, by Street Cry (Ire). O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €34,290.
3–Makaloun (Fr), 126, c, 2, Bated Breath (GB)–Makana (Fr), by Dalakhani (Ire). O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. €17,145.
Margins: SNK, 1 3/4, NO. Odds: 27.50, 16.00, 1.30.
Also Ran: Tiger Tanaka (Ire), Bolshoi Ballet (Ire), Sweet Lady (Fr), Best of Lips (Ire). Scratched: Belloccio (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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