Tag Archive for: Native American

Fahey hoping Native American can emulate Wootton Bassett

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Native American has the chance to emulate some illustrious names when he steps up in class for the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.

Richard Fahey’s unbeaten youngster has only been seen twice so far, but has barely put a foot wrong when striding out onto the racecourse, winning with supreme ease on debut before landing a valuable Curragh prize in taking style 21 days ago.

He will now be tested at the highest level for the first time, 13 years after Fahey saddled Wootton Bassett to surge to victory in the seven-furlong Group One.

“It’s a good race and he needs to step up, but we’re pleased with him,” said Fahey.

“He’s a horse I could see improving a lot for his win the other day, but he will need to. I think he’s the lowest-rated horse in the race, but we’re very happy with him, we’re looking forward to it.”

Wootton Bassett headed to the French capital with four runs under his belt, whereas Native American is still at the formative stages of his career.

However, Malton-based Fahey does see similarities between the pair and believes the son of Sioux Nation will be an even better prospect next season.

Native American winning at the Curragh
Native American winning at the Curragh (Damien Eagers/PA)

He added: “They would be similar horses and both undefeated going there. I think Wootton Bassett had won four before going there. He was slightly more experienced, but this horse will have improved a lot now.

“He’s going to be a better three-year-old than two-year-old, but we’ve been really pleased with him since the Curragh.”

Native American is owned by the Qatar-based Wathnan racing who are also represented in the race by Adrian Keatley’s Ballymount Boy.

Second in both the Richmond Stakes and Acomb Stakes since opening his account at Hamilton, his handler believes he is fully primed to make his presence felt in Paris.

Ballymount Boy after running at York
Ballymount Boy after running at York (Nick Grant/PA)

“He deserves to take his place in the field and we’ve been happy with him at home,” said Keatley.

“He’s had a nice bit of time between this and his last run, he is in great form and we’re happy with him.

“We feel this could be his turn to get his head in front. Hopefully it will be on Sunday and these are the places you want to be.”

Richard Hannon’s Rosallion saw his bubble burst in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, but Richard Hannon is hoping the prospect of better ground on the Bois de Boulogne can see his charge return to the form of his destructive earlier outings.

Rosallion tasted defeat for the first time at Doncaster
Rosallion tasted defeat for the first time at Doncaster (Adam Davy/PA)

“It looks like it’s going to be fast ground out there which will be much more to his liking,” said Hannon.

“We were very disappointed at Doncaster and we hope he is going to show what he can really do.

“They went very slow at Doncaster and he just didn’t look like the horse we saw at Ascot or we’ve seen at home, so hopefully we will see him in a much better light.”

Another hoping to show off his star potential is Brian Meehan’s Jayarebe who looked to possess a real touch of class when scoring at Newmarket on debut and is now thrown straight in at the deep end by trainer Brian Meehan.

He said: “I think he’s really smart and he’s came out of his last race really well.

“His work has been good and he does things really easily. I thought it was a good performance at Newmarket and he beat some really nice horses.

“He could have gone to the Royal Lodge, but I figured we would go straight to a Group One.”

With Meehan’s go-to pilot Sean Levey needed to partner Rosallion, the Manton handler has called upon an old ally and weighing-room great in Frankie Dettori to do the steering aboard Jayarebe.

Frankie Dettori will ride for Brian Meehan on Sunday
Frankie Dettori will ride for Brian Meehan on Sunday (Damien Eagers/PA)

“We’re good friends and he’s ridden a lot of good winners for me over the years,” added the trainer.

“We’re always really selective over what Frankie rides. Sean wasn’t free so it was ideal to have Frankie.”

French hopes are carried by Yann Barberot’s unbeaten Beauvatier who brought up a four-timer when downing Andre Fabre’s reopposing Evade in the Prix la Rochette, while Francis-Henri Graffard’s Zabiari is another with smart course form to his name.

Aidan O’Brien is no stranger to success in this and saddles both Henry Adams and Unquestionable, who is the choice of Ryan Moore.

Unquestionable in full flow at the Curragh
Unquestionable in full flow at the Curragh (Niall Carson/PA)

The latter has solely campaigned at six furlongs, but after brave performances in defeat, is now upped in trip.

“He ran at the Curragh last time over six furlongs, he hasn’t stepped up to seven yet,” said O’Brien.

“We think it’s going to suit him, stepping up to seven, and he’s been in good form since then.”

O’Brien also has a strong hand in the other two-year-old contest on the card, the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac, where he saddles Opera Singer.

The Ballydoyle handler has won this event four times in the past and could become the joint-most successful trainer in the race if his talented daughter of Justify backs up her ruthless display on the Curragh recently when winning a Group Three by six and a half lengths.

O’Brien said: “She won a Group race at the Curragh last time over a mile, we think this race will really suit her. She’s a Justify filly and we’re really happy with her since.”

Karl Burke’s Darnation arrives with a growing reputation having claimed both the Prestige Stakes and May Hill Stakes in the manner of a top-class operator, while Frankie Dettori will don famous silks when he gets the leg-up aboard Meehan’s recent Sandown scorer Extraordinaire.

“She will appreciate the mile at Longchamp on Sunday and the ground should be nice for as well,” said her trainer.

“She’s a really nice filly who did well at Sandown last time and the form is working out well.”



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Mister Sketch to kick off Wathnan career in Mill Reef

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Mister Sketch will be sporting the colours of Wathnan Racing when he returns to Newbury for the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes.

The Eve Johnson Houghton-trained youngster – who is one of 14 confirmed for the Group Two event – was narrowly beaten at the Berkshire track on debut in July before setting the record straight in style at Salisbury last month.

There the strapping son of Territories romped to an emphatic nine-and-a-half-length success which alerted his new ownership team to his potential and they are excited to see him take the leap into deeper waters when he wears their silks for the first time on Saturday afternoon.

“The team is very excited to have one with Eve,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser to the owners.

“He’s a lovely, big horse and I was really taken with him when I went to see him and we’re looking forward to seeing him run in the Mill Reef.

“He’s a big lad and whatever he does this year, I’ll be really surprised if he doesn’t do better next year.”

The Qatar-based ownership enterprise have another smart two-year-old on their hands in Richard Fahey’s Native American, who has impressed in two unbeaten performances so far, and was last seen scooping a valuable sales race at the Curragh earlier this month.

Native American impressed when winning at the Curragh
Native American impressed when winning at the Curragh (Damien Eagers/PA)

He has a plethora of big-race options both at home and abroad for the autumn with connections keen to test the son of Sioux Nation in Pattern company in his next start.

But with the feedback from jockey Colin Keane indicating Native American would prefer a sounder surface, all options remain on the table for now, with his next outing set to be determined by the weather forecast.

“Richard was keen to take him over there for the experience – travelling overnight and all those things that go with it,” continued Brown, reflecting on Native American’s successful raid to Ireland.

“We were delighted he won and hopefully we can build from here, but Colin said he did not enjoy the ground and I think we’ll be avoiding soft and/or tacky ground, from now on.

Curragh Races – Sunday 10th September
Jockey Colin Keane with winning connections after Native American won in Ireland (Damien Eagers/PA)

“I suppose we just we have to be on weather watch now for the autumn targets and we would be keen to avoid soft ground.

“He’s a big horse and he’s got all the scope to be a better horse next year. We’re obviously keen to run him again, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if he didn’t run until next year.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to find somewhere with decent ground before the end of the season to drop him in at stakes level.”



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Native American picks up big sales prize for Fahey

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Richard Fahey’s Native American demonstrated a great deal of promise when coming out on top in the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes at the Curragh.

The juvenile had not been seen since his debut at York in May, a novice race he won by a facile five and a half lengths over six furlongs.

Partnered by Colin Keane this time around, the colt was the 4-5 favourite and made light work of the task in hand, streaking away from 11 rivals to cross the line two and a half lengths ahead of the runner-up.

Fahey said of his Wathnan Racing-owned youngster: “He was workmanlike, I thought, but he did it well in the end to be fair.

“He grew and just wasn’t scoping great so I couldn’t get stuck into him, but he’s done plenty of cantering and we were pleased with him. I’m sure he will improve again.

“He’s quite a nice horse, we do like him but he’s a work in progress.

“We won some sales races with Wootton Bassett and he ended up winning the Lagardere. That was in my mind before the race so we’ll see how he is and decide whether he goes or not.

“The jockey felt the ground was just dead enough for him and felt he wanted better ground.”

Charles O’Brien’s Big Gossey won for the first time this season when taking the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Bold Lad” Sprint Handicap under teenage apprentice Robert Whearty.

The six-year-old, who claimed the same race in 2021, is a regular over sprint trips at the Curragh and was third over the same course and distance under Whearty last time out.

With a slicker exit from the stalls this time the pair were victorious, striking at 16-1 to land a valuable prize for owners the Allegro Syndicate.

Whearty said: “He was a bit unlucky the last day. He went up in the gates a small bit and I missed the break. I had a bit of ground to make up and probably used him up at the wrong time.

“I had a lovely position today and he travelled into it lovely. He had a bit of a look when he got there but thankfully he stayed going.

“It’s brilliant to be riding (this weekend), never mind have a winner.”

The final race of the meeting, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Northfields” Handicap, was claimed by the Irish Cambridgeshire third Crystal Black.

Ridden by Colin Keane for his father, Gerard, the gelding came home the winner having started as the 5-1 joint-favourite.



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Chipstead posts new personal best with York triumph

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Roger Teal’s Chipstead came out on top at York with a career-best victory in the William Hill Epic Boost Handicap.

The five-year-old, who is full-brother to Teal’s sprint star Oxted, was a 12-1 chance for the contest after being well beaten on his seasonal debut in the Palace House Stakes.

Back in handicap company under 3lb-claimer Frederick Larson, the bay blazed to a three-quarter-length victory over Mondammej with Fine Wine a further neck behind in third.

“We like him a lot, he’s Oxted’s full brother but he never really produces until the back end of the season,” said Harry Teal, son and assistant to Roger.

“He’s gone and proved us wrong and it’s good to get one early.

“These are the ones that count, on the Saturdays, it’s nice to be back in the winner’s enclosure with this sort of horse and hopefully he can step up next time.

“We’re in the King’s Stand, but I think the Wokingham looks the more likely route that we’ll go at Royal Ascot, I’d say that’ll be our next stop.”

Native American may have also thrown his hat in the ring for the Royal meeting with a straightforward success in the Collective Green Energy EBF Restricted Novice Stakes.

Trained by Richard Fahey and ridden by Oisin Orr, the Sioux Nation colt was making his debut in the six-furlong event won last year by Bradsell.

Bradsell went on to land the Coventry at Royal Ascot and Native American is now a 33-1 chance for the same contest after a five-and-a-half-length victory on the Knavesmire at 10-1.

“He’s shown plenty at home before today, but he probably will stay further in time, so we weren’t sure about six furlongs today,” said Orr.

“He’s quickened up and put the race to bed nicely. He’s definitely going to improve off that.”

The favourite, Richard Hannon’s The Line, was withdrawn after unseating Danny Tudhope at the start.

Geoff Oldroyd’s Doctor Khan Junior was a poignant winner of the William Hill Keep Your Raceday Positive Handicap at York.

The four-year-old, who has undergone lengthy injury rehabilitation, was bred by Pocklington-based businessman Reg Bond before his death in 2021.

Bond’s son Charlie has taken up the reins and sponsored the final race on the card in honour of his father – the Reg Bond ‘Always And Forever’ Stakes.

It was the first race in which the family silks were seen crossing the line ahead, however, as Doctor Khan Junior defied a price of 28-1 to prevail under Harry Russell.

The horse is named in homage to Dr Mohammad Muneeb Khan, the oncologist who treated Reg Bond’s brain tumour.

“My dad and Dr Khan had a great relationship, he was treating his tumour for many years and got it under control, which gave many years of life to my dad,” said Charlie Bond.

“My dad named the horse, I’m sure he was pushing him home today, especially with it being his memorial day with the race later on.

“It was all about my dad today and to have a winner here is unbelievable.”

The aforementioned closing race was won by Saeed bin Suroor’s Shining Blue, who carried Daniel Muscutt to a convincing win when prevailing by four lengths.

Richard Hannon trains York winner Starnberg
Richard Hannon trains York winner Starnberg (David Davies./PA)

Richard Hannon’s Starnberg (8-1) was the winner of the William Hill Extra Place Races Daily Handicap under Jim Crowley, coming home comfortably ahead of his rivals to claim a three-and-a-half-length triumph.

“We went out in front and I thought they’d get to him, but he’s stuck on really well,” said Crowley.

“He made his mind up for me, but seven furlongs is probably his trip.”

Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan, on the mark with River Of Stars in the Bronte Cup, claimed a second success on the card as Quantum Impact justified his status as the 100-30 favourite in the Royal Yorkshire Regiment Handicap.



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