By Sean Cronin
Team Ballydoyle had registered five prior wins in Lingfield's Listed SBK Derby Trial, including with subsequent G1 Epsom Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2019, and Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore teamed up once again with United Nations (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}–Christmas Kid, by Lemon Drop Kid) to continue their banner week with a hard-fought victory in this year's edition. For sire Galileo, it was a fourth new stakes winner of the week and extended the Coolmore icon's world-record tally to 351. United Nations graduated over seven furlongs in his Sept. 16 debut at Naas, following up with a seventh behind subsequent G1 2000 Guineas hero Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in Newmarket's one-mile Oct. 9 G3 Autumn S., and lined up for this test coming back off a fourth tackling 10 furlongs in Epsom's Apr. 19 Listed Blue Riband Trial. Moore was content to accept a tow in second as last month's Newbury maiden winner Natural World (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) set the tempo until well beyond halfway. Scrubbed along with three furlongs remaining, the 9-4 second favourite gained an edge approaching the final furlong and was driven out to deny Godolphin number one Walk of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who had flattered to deceive in the closing stages, by 3/4-of-a-length.
“United Nations has been round Epsom and has clearly come out of his race there well,” said Coolmore's Kevin Buckley. “He ticks the boxes, Aidan hoped he would put his experience into practice today and we thought he'd improve with the extra step up in distance. It was a steep learning curve at Epsom [last time], we were happy with that performance and now he as done that here. Having a large team for Epsom is a nice problem to have.” Paul Smith added, “It's a great learning curve going from trial to championship and we've been delighted with the way the respective horses have run at Chester and now Lingfield. We hope it will continue at York.”
United Nations becomes the third black-type winner and fifth stakes performer for GI Ashland S. heroine Christmas Kid (Lemon Drop Kid), who also had the Listed Caravaggio S. victor and G1 Vincent O'Brien S. placegetter Christmas (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the Listed Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial scorer Black Sea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Christmas Kid is also the dam of G3 Killavullan S. runner-up Michaelmas (Elusive Quality) and G2 King Edward VII S. third Father Christmas (Ire) (Bernadini). The next dam is dual Grade III victrix Christmas Gift (Green Desert), who produced the stakes-winning Elusive Gift (Elusive Quality) and is the ancestress of the GIII Eddie D S. victor Holy Lute (Midnight Lute). United Nations' third dam, Christmas Bonus (Key To The Mint), has three stakes winners to her credit including stakes-winning GI Santa Anita Oaks second Bright Candles (El Gran Senor), whose own progeny list is headed by MGISW sire Grand Slam (Gone West). Christmas Kid also has a 2-year-old full-sister to United Nations to come.
Saturday, Lingfield, Britain
SBK DERBY TRIAL S.-Listed, £67,500, Lingfield, 5-7, 3yo, c/g, 11f 133yT, 2:26.68, g/f.
1–UNITED NATIONS (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Christmas Kid (GISW, $596,877), by Lemon Drop Kid
2nd Dam: Christmas Gift, by Green Desert
3rd Dam: Christmas Bonus, by Key to the Mint
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £38,799. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $62,884. *Full to Christmas (IRE), SW & G1SP-Ire, GSP-Swe & MSP-Den, $159,477; Black Sea (Ire), SW & GSP-Ire; and 1/2 to Father Christmas (Ire) (Bernardini), GSP-Eng, $153,484; and Michaelmas (Elusive Quality), GSP-Ire.
2–Walk of Stars (GB), 128, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Sound Reflection, by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £14,722.
3–Natural World (Ire), 128, c, 3, Frankel (GB)–Skiffle (GB), by Dubawi (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £7,364.
Margins: 3/4, 3 1/4, 1. Odds: 2.25, 1.10, 6.50.
Also Ran: Zechariah (Ire). Scratched: Lionel (GB).
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