Ireland: O'Brien ties Beresford Stakes record with win by Port Douglas
Port Douglas, a 14-1 outsider, gave trainer Aidan O’Brien his 15th career win in the $132,732 Beresford Stakes for 2-year-olds at The Curragh in Ireland on Sunday.
The win left O’Brien tied with the late Vincent O’Brien, who is no relation to Aidan, for most wins in the Group 2 race by a trainer. Aidan O’Brien, 45, won his first Beresford Stakes in 1996 with Johan Cruyff.
Port Douglas, who was ridden by Emmet McNamara, led throughout the one-mile race and finished a short head in front of True Solitaire, the 9-4 co-favorite. The O’Brien-trained Beacon Rock, also 9-4, finished third in the field of nine.
Aidan O’Brien said that Port Douglas is a candidate for the $303,600 Racing Post Trophy, a Group 1 race at a mile at Doncaster, England, on Oct. 24.
By Galileo, Port Douglas has won 2 of 4 starts, having beaten maidens in his debut at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland in June.
Germany: Nightflower scores in Grosser Preis Von Europa
Nightflower, second in Group 1 races in August and early September, won the most prestigious race of her career in Sunday’s Group 1, $173,670 Grosser Preis Von Europa at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Cologne, Germany.
Nightflower, a 3-1 shot ridden by Andrasch Starke for trainer Peter Schiergen, closed from midpack in a field of nine to win by two lengths over 11-1 Sirius. Dubday, the 11-4 favorite, finished third, a short head behind Sirius.
Nightflower, a 3-year-old Irish-bred filly by Dylan Thomas who races for Stall Nizza, won the Group 2 Diana Trial in Germany in May and was later eighth in the Group 1 French Oaks at Chantilly in June. More recently, Nightflower was second in the German Oaks and the Grosser Preis Von Baden, the latter against males.
Italy: Red Dubawi posts 12-1 upset
Red Dubawi, a 12-1 outsider, won Sunday’s $270,600 Premio Vittorio di Capua for turf milers at San Siro Racecourse in Italy, beating Bookrunner, who was ninth in the Arlington Million on Aug. 15.
Red Dubawi, who was ridden by Andreas Suborics, closed from last in a field of 11 to win by two lengths over Bookrunner, who was a neck in front of Circus Couture, a 5-2 shot. Spoil the Fun, the 13-5 favorite, finished eighth.
Red Dubawi races for Zalim Bifov and trainer Erika Mader. A 7-year-old horse, Red Dubawi was a Group 2 winner in Germany in 2013.