Juveniles took centre stage overnight in the UK and Ireland with a pair of Group I races decided at Newmarket in the Middle Park Stakes (6f) for the colts and Cheveley Park Stakes (6f) for the fillies, while at The Curragh a field of 30 lined up in the Goffs Million, the richest 2YO race in Europe.
The Middle Park Stakes was won by the Charlie Appleby trained Mehmas colt Wise Approach, who scored a three-quarter length win for Godolphin under William Buick beating the Aidan O’Brien trained Wootton Bassett colt Brussels.
Wise Approach has won three of six starts.
Bred and sold by Tally Ho Stud, Wise Approach was bought by Godolphin for 1million guineas at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1and is a half-brother to brilliant sprinter Perfect Power, who won the Group I Middle Park Stakes and Prix Morny at two before taking the Group I Royal Ascot Commonwealth Cup at three to be Champion European 3YO Sprinter.
He is also a half-brother to stakes-placed Golden Mind and is the third winner and third Black Type horse from three to race for his dam Sagely, a half-sister by Frozen Power to the dam of stakes-winner Epic Poet.
He is the ninth Group I winner for Acclamation stallion Mehmas, who has enjoyed quite the ride to commercial fame and fortune standing this year at Tally Ho Stud a fee of €70,000, a big increase on the early days when he started at €12,500 before dropping as low as €7,500 in 2020.
Mehmas produces fast sprinter milers and runs at 61% winners to runners with 7% SW to runner.
The Acclamation sireline has had a taste of success in Australia through his grand-son Harry Angel (IRE) with another Group I winning representative being Raheen Stud’s young stallion Top Ranked (IRE).
The Cheveley Park Stakes was won by the Aidan O’Brien trained filly True Love, who has had a busy season winning the Group II Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot back in June.
Ridden by Wayne Lordan, the No Nay Never filly scored by three-quarters of a length and has also won three of six starts.
A homebred for Coolmore, True Love is the third stakes-winner from three foals to race from stakes-winning Fastnet Rock mare Alluringly and the other two are both Group II winners Truly Enchanting and Lily Pond.
It’s a superb pedigree with third dam All Too Beautiful, a Group III winning sister to Galileo and half-sister to Sea the Stars with this branch of the Urban Sea family producing Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet.
True Love is the tenth Group I winner for No Nay Never, who shuttled to Coolmore Australia for four seasons with his best Aussie bred offspring the Group I winner Madame Pommery.
The Goffs Million run over 7f attracted a field of 30 with victory going to the Aidan O’Brien trained Wootton Bassett colt Dorset, who scored by a length and a quarter for Jack Cleary.
A €400,000 purchase for Alex Elliott from the Castlebridge Consignment, Dorset runs for the Coolmore partners and is the best of three winners from well bred Galileo mare Snowflakes, a winning sister to four time Group I winning filly Winter.
Wootton Bassett also added a new juvenile stakes-winner to his record with blueblood Coolmore owned colt Hawk Mountain winning the Group II Beresford Stakes (1m) at the Curragh.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ronan Wheeler, he stormed clear to win by mor ethan three lengths as favourite at just his third start.
Hawk Mountain is a half-brother to stakes-winners Officer and Wingspan being the third winner from three foals to race from Group I winning Galileo mare Hydrangea, a sister to Group I winners The United Stakes and Hermosa.
Hawk Mountain is the 73rd stakes-winner for the ill-fated Wootton Bassett, who passed away in Australia last week.
