Covering his second Australian season this spring at Coolmore, Wootton Bassett (GB) added a new Group I winner to his tally overnight when exciting colt Al Riffa upset the favourites to win the Group I National Stakes (7f) at The Curragh.
With a win and second at his first two starts, Joseph O’Brien and his owners elected to pay a late entry fee to put Al Riffa into the race and he rewarded them when drawing clear to win by a length and a quarter over Galileo colt Proud and Regal.
It was also the first Group I win for his jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle.
“It was a special performance. Al Riffa won his maiden well and the owners were keen to supplement him for this. It was a very impressive performance to come from the back of the field like that,” said Joseph O’Brien.
“He was a big shell of a horse as a yearling and I thought he'd make a lovely 3yo, I didn't for a minute think he'd make the two-year-old that he has made.
“His family is all stamina, so for him to be doing this at this stage is very positive for the future. We always thought he was a middle-distance horse, and he's closely related to an Ascot Gold Cup winner, so that's real stamina, but he's not slow.
“I'd imagine he's a Guineas horse for sure and we'll take it from there. He's a classy horse and very exciting. The plan coming here was to go on to the race on Arc day (the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere) but we'll see how he comes out of it today and discuss it with the owners.”
Al Riffa was bred in France and sold as a foal at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale in 2020 for €31,000 before being re-offered at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 where he was bought by his trainer for 150,000 guineas.
ner for unraced Galileo mare Love on My Mind, a sister to multiple Group III winning stayer Mizzou, who was second in a Group I Royal Ascot Gold Cup.
Love on My Mind is from s takes-winning stayer Moments of Joy a daughter of two time Group I winning mare My Emma.
Al Riffa is the 29th stakes-winner for Wootton Bassett and is his sixth Group I winner.
Interestingly, he is the first stakes-winner bred by Wootton Bassett from a daughter of Galileo, but we can expect Al Riffa to be the first of many as Wootton Bassett has been covering the cream of the Galileo mares at Coolmore since his purchase and relocation from France in 2020.
Wootton Bassett stands in Australia this spring at a fee of $71,500.
Standing alongside Wootton Bassett at Coolmore Australia is St Mark’s Basilica (IRE), whose champion sire Siyouni also had a Group I winning two year-old overnight with the Aga Khan homebred filly Tahiyra winning the Moyglare Stud Stakes (7f).
Trained by Dermot Weld, Tahiyra won by more than two lengths over race favourite Meditate, a daughter of No Nay Never.
Tahiyra was having just her second start following a maiden win at Galway and looks to have a lot more to offer.
“She did it very well. It was an excellent renewal of the race and she has beaten a multiple Group-winning filly. I was afraid it might come a little soon in her career and I have always said she will be beautiful filly next spring. We have a lot to look forward to,” said Dermot Weld.
Tahiyra is a half-sister to Champion Mare Tarnawa, a triple Group I winner from stakes-winning Cape Cross mare Tarana
Tahiyra is the 66th stakes-winner for Siyouni and is his seventh Group I winner.
St Mark’s Basilica stands at a fee of $44,000 this spring.
