Surprise Group I Winning 2YO’s

Tara Madgwick - Sunday September 12

Two Group I juvenile features were run at The Curragh overnight with interesting winners of both races albeit not the favourites that punters thought with victory going to a filly by Mastercraftsman that is a full sister to a champion and a colt from the family of Coolmore shuttler Calyx (GB).

The Group I Moyglare Stud Stakes (7f) for the fillies continues a brilliant run of success for Jessica Harrington, who prepares the winner Discoveries, a full sister to Champion 3YO filly Alpha Centauri.

A homebred for the Niarchos family, the Mastercraftsman filly scored a three-quarter length win for Shane Foley over Agartha (Caravaggio) with Time Test filly Sunset Shiraz in third place.


“Discoveries is a lovely filly with a lovely temperament. The ground came up soft in the Debutante, but she wants top of the ground,” said- Jessica Harrington.

Discoveries has two wins and a third from four starts and aside from being the younger  sister of Alpha Centauri is also a sibling to Group I winner Alpine Star and stakes-winner Tenth Star being among six winners from blue hen Alpha Lupi.


She is the 17th Group I winner for Coolmore’s glorious grey Danehill Dancer stallion Mastercraftsman, who passed away earlier this year.

The National Stakes (7f) for colts was won by Godolphin, the Charlie Appleby trained Oasis Dream colt Native Trail too good for Aidan O’Briens’s race favourite Point Lonsdale, a son of Galileo stallion Australia.

A last start winner of the Group II Newmarket Superlative Stakes, Native Trail made it three wins in as many starts when cruising away from Point Lonsdale to win by three and a half lengths.
 



“This is a route we've done with Pinatubo and Quorto and it was always our plan after the Superlative to come here with Native Trail,” said Charlie Appleby.

“This is a great race and an indicator to the G1 Dewhurst. He's an interesting horse to be around, like a lot of the good ones, when you get to learn their characteristics. We changed some equipment on him and put a cross noseband on to make him concentrate as he was free and messing around. I'd say we will go straight for the Dewhurst.”
 



Native Trail was bought this year at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale by Godolphin for 210,000 guineas  after fetching 67,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale when bought by Margaret O’Toole/ Oak Tree Farm.

He is a three time sale ring veteran having been bought out of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale as a foal for 50,000 euros by Sam Sangster Bloodstock.



Native Trail is the 18th Group I winner for Juddmonte Farm’s Oasis Dream, who featured here on Saturday as the sire of Turaath (GB), winner of the Group II VRC Let’s Elope Stakes.

Native Trail is the first winner for Needleleaf, an unraced sister to Group I winner African Rose and Group III winner Helleborine, the dam of Kingman’s brilliant Group II winner Calyx (GB), who is covering his second book of mares at Coolmore in Australia this spring.

Calyx is a Premium stallion, click for more information.

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Karaka Millions and NZB Kiwi Opportunities in Ready to Run Sale
More than ever before, horses bought from the NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka will be eligible to compete for significant prize-money within 18 months of their purchase.
Mare in Foal to Home Affairs Tops MM Digital at $350,000
Impeccably related mare Taste of Heaven topped the first Magic Millions Digital Sale conducted today.
600k Fantasy World Heads Third Day of Tattersalls Autumn HIT Sale
FANTASY WORLD was one of three lots to realise 500,000 guineas or more on the third day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale which saw significant increases to the median, average and turnover from the equivalent session in 2024.
Aussie Bred Sprinter to Run in G1 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint This Weekend
Australian spring racing might appear to be the centre of the universe in our neck of the woods, but in the Northern Hemisphere this weekend it is all about the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Del Mar in California and an Aussie bred sprinter could be poised to spring an upset.
$10 million 2025 Golden Eagle Field and Barrier Draw
The favourites have all fared well after the field and barrier draw was declared for the $10million Golden Eagle at Randwick this Saturday.
2025 Victoria Derby Pedigree Preview - Who is Bred to Stay?
The Group I VRC Victoria Derby at Flemington on Saturday is worth a whopping $2 million and the testing trip of 2500m means a lot of horses are not going to see it out strongly and this looks a competitive year with no G1 winners engaged and a full field of up and comers set to do battle, so let’s see what the pedigrees have to say.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday October 29
Here is the full list of 44 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
High Hopes for Pencarrow Stud Homebred Farnan Filly
Passiflora will provide her connections with a sound guide at Tauranga as to where she sits in the three-year-old pecking order.
Walker Upbeat Heading into Flemington
Trainer Mark Walker will have a two-pronged attack on the Gr.1 VRC Derby (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday, headed by last start Listed 3YO Geelong Classic (2200m) winner Azazel, with lightly-tried McWoody also making the field.
Waller Racing Swoop on Blueblood Frankel at Tattersalls HIT
The third session of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale is playing out and Chris Waller Racing are on the buyer’s list securing a blueblood three year-old colt by champion sire Frankel.