Trading Leather further muddled the overseas 3-year-old hierarchy with a mild upset in the Group 1, $896,511 Irish Derby on Saturday at The Curragh. The heavily favored Ruler of The World, the Epsom Derby winner, mustered no rally and finished fifth, while the well-regarded Libertarian, purchased by Godolphin after his runner-up finish at Epsom, was even less effective, coming home a meek eighth of nine.
Style Vendome, who beat 17 3-year-olds winning the Group 1 Prix d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) in his most recent start, will have 11 opponents Sunday at Chantilly when he seeks a second straight Group 1 victory in the Prix Jean Prat.
Although revenue for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association dropped 23 percent in fiscal year 2013, the association managed to generate excess cash of $66,851, compared with a loss of $598,927 in the previous fiscal year, according to financial statements included as part of the association’s annual report released on Thursday.
Ruler of The World and Libertarian, the first two finishers of the Group 1 English Derby at Epsom Downs on June 1, will have a rematch in Saturday’s $1,625,000 Irish Derby at The Curragh.
For the Group 1 Irish Derby, Libertarian has a new owner.
A colt by New Approach, Libertarian was purchased privately by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing after the English Derby. A winner of 2 of 4 starts, Libertarian has remained with trainer Elaine Burke for the Irish Derby.
Novellist was a top 3-year-old in Germany last year, winning two group stakes in that country and finishing second in the German Derby. He later won a Group 1 race in Italy.
This year, Novellist is running successfully in tougher races in western Europe. On Sunday, Novellist made his first start in France, winning the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud against a strong field.
Improving 4-year-old Lethal Force won the first Group 1 race of his career on the last day of the 2013 Royal Ascot meeting, dashing to a convincing victory in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on Saturday in England.
The meeting’s final card was marred by the death of 4-year-old Thomas Chippendale, who collapsed and died just after winning the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes. A heart attack was suspected in the colt’s sudden demise.
Sunday’s $524,000 Grand Prix de Saint Cloud in France has a strong field of 11 older horses led by the 13-time stakes winner Cirrus des Aigles.
Unraced since finishing second to the undefeated superstar Frankel in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot last October, the 7-year-old Cirrus des Aigles will try to win his third Group 1 race in the last 15 months in the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud. In early 2012, Cirrus des Aigles won consecutive Group 1 races in the $5 million Sheema Classic in Dubai and the Prix Ganay at Longchamp.
Sky Lantern gave top jockey Richard Hughes his first British classic win last month, and she saved his Royal Ascot meeting Friday.
Nearly seven weeks after winning the Group 1 English 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, Sky Lantern won Friday’s Group 1 Coronation Stakes, the top race for 3-year-olds fillies over the five days of racing at Royal Ascot.
The closing card of the 2012 Royal Ascot meet featured the first appearance outside Australia of superstar sprinter Black Caviar, but no such electricity surrounds this year’s final day. The Saturday card is headed as usual by the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, a six-furlong dash that drew no horse remotely as interesting as the hulking, undefeated Australian mare, though another Australian, Sea Siren, is part of the 18-horse field.
A trio of satisfying winners found the mark Thursday at Royal Ascot. American trainer Wesley Ward captured the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes with No Nay Never; Queen Elizabeth II’s horse Estimate was an exciting victor of the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup; and Jane Cecil notched her first win since taking over the string of her late husband, trainer Henry Cecil, when Riposte won the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes.
