Pedigree Watch – Glorious Justify G1 Winner Goodwood

Tara Madgwick - Friday August 2

It’s been a big year in Europe for Triple Crown winning sire Justify with his Epsom Derby winning superstar City of Troy and his high class filly Opera Singer found her turn to shine in the Group I Nassau Stakes (1m2f) at Goodwood on Thursday.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, Opera Singer closed out her juvenile season with a Group I victory in France and was placed at her first two runs back this year in the Group I Irish 1000 Guineas and Royal Ascot Coronation Stakes.

Advertisement

Stepping up in distance for the first time from a mile, Opera Singer was ridden a positive race and skipped clear of her rivals holding the challengers at bay to win by a neck over See the Fire with this year’s Group I winning fillies Sparkling Plenty and Elmalka in third and fourth.

“She's a very special filly. Ryan gave her a fantastic ride and was very confident about her. We've always thought about the Arc for her. She had an interrupted spring but stayed ten furlongs well here and there's every chance she will stay a mile and a half. She's very classy,” said Aidan O'Brien.

Opera Singer runs for the Coolmore partners and is a half-sister to a pair of Group I winning fillies by War Front in Brave Anna (Newmaret Cheveley Park Stakes) and Hit it a Bomb (Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf).

The Champion European 2YO Filly last year, Opera Singer has the overall record of four wins from eight starts and is the eighth winner from 10 foals to race from Group III winning Sadler’s Wells mare Liscanna.

Her sire Justify will not be returning to Coolmore Australia this spring, but will have a cracking crop of foals born here having covered 188 mares last year at a fee of $77,000.

The Group III Gordon Stakes (1m4f) was won by Galileo three year-old Jan Brueghel with the Australian Bloodstock colours carried by third place-getter Sayedaty Sadaty, who is headed for Australia with spring aspirations after his last start fifth in the Epsom Derby and then this encouraging effort.

Another Coolmore partners homebred trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, Jan Brueghel pulled out plenty under pressure and has now had three starts for three wins with this neck victory earning him a crack at the Group I St Leger.

“There's no doubt there's class in there," said Aidan O’Brien.

"He's going to improve a lot with time and distance. He didn't run and we didn't do anything with him last year, and you can really see it now.

"It was a bit of a crash course to come here. He had a lot to learn in a short space of time, it was only his third run, and I wouldn't have thought there was time to go somewhere else between now and Doncaster.

"He was a lot heavier today than before his last run, which is unusual, and we haven't stopped working him, so that usually means he's maturing a lot."

Jan Brueghel is a full brother to Group I Irish Derby winner Sovereign and is the second stakes-winner among eight winners from Group II placed Danehill Dancer mare Devoted to You.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Doubtland 2YO All On Red Smashes Them Again at Ascot
Widden Stud's Doubtland has a potential 2YO topliner in Perth in the shape of exciting WA colt All On Red, who remains undefeated from two starts after another comprehensive Ascot Saturday win.
A Century of NZB National Yearling Sales Success: Cox Plate
Moonee Valley’s A$6m Group One WS Cox Plate (2040m) is known as the weight-for-age championship of Australasia and has been won by many of Australia and New Zealand’s greatest thoroughbreds.
Cream Rises at Trentham
A half-sister by Hello Youmzain (Fr) to dual Group I winner Mustang Valley, exciting filly Cream Tart is set to line up in one of the major three-year-old races over New Zealand Cup Week following her impressive win in Sunday’s Upper Hutt Car Sales LTD Three-Year-Old (1400m) at Trentham.
Wootton Bassett and Camelot 2YO Colts Win Final French Group Ones
The last French Group I races of their flat season were run on Sunday and Aidan O’Brien produced the winners of both the Group I Criterium International (1600m) and Group I Criterium de Saint Cloud (1800m).
Sires With Winners - Friday October 24
Here is the full list of 60 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
From FNQ To Sha Tin - Aussie Bred Sprinter Wins G2 Premier Bowl
Some horses arrive in Hong Kong with a very different back story - Fresh from winning the $20million The Everest with Ka Ying Rising, David Hayes was back in the winner’s list at Sha Tin on Sunday when Tomodachi Kokoroe won the Group II Premier Bowl (1200m).
Yes Yes Yes 3YO Shooting for G2 on Monday
Last year’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) set Savaglee up for Group One glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint in 2025 with her Yes Yes Yes 3YO Affirmative Action..
Second Wootton Bassett Son Added to Coolmore Stallion Roster for 2026
Set to join Camille Pissarro as the second G1 winning son of Wootton Bassett on the stallion roster for Ireland in 2026 is Henri Matisse, who this time last year was about to claim his first G1 victory at the Breeders Cup meeting at Del Mar.
Undefeated 3YO King of Light Wins Listed Belgravia
Dan Morton's exciting three year old King Of Light (Earthlight) remains unbeaten in three starts, as the gelding graduated to stakes company with a scintillating first up victory in the Listed Belgravia Stakes on Cox Plate Day at Ascot.
Hi Yo Sass Bomb Wins G3 on Sunday
Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.