Unbeaten since stepping up from six furlongs on his last two starts, Aclaim who had opened his black-type account on soft ground in Newbury's Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup over seven furlongs last time Sept. 16 handled these contrasting conditions with aplomb to record a career-best. Successful over six furlongs on rain-eased ground in a handicap at the Craven meeting here Apr. 14, he stayed at that distance for his next four starts with the next one resulting in a third placing in the G3 Lacken S. at Naas May 29. Unable to land a serious blow on his next three outings, the bay was upped to a mile for a handicap at Ascot and showed he possessed sufficient stamina to regain the winning thread there Sept. 2 prior to an easy win in the Dubai Duty Free Cup.
Anchored towards the rear of the stand's-side group by Frankie Dettori as Lumiere led overall in the centre, Aclaim moved through to gain the lead passing the furlong pole and stayed on to secure the prize from last year's G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine. “I think he probably wants a bit more cut in the ground, but he was very courageous for me,” his rider said. “He's done nothing wrong and that was a solid group two race. He can only improve.” Trainer Martyn Meade added, “He has progressed and progressed and it is unlikely he'll run again this year. He's had time to mature and is a lovely healthy horse.” Trainer Mark Johnston said of Lumiere, “It was a great run, I just wish the race was on the far side as one by one she beat them all off. That is her pretty much her back to form and John Ferguson said to have a think about America. I could not see her finishing out of the first three in Guineas and that was the most disappointing day of the year. There have been ups and downs since. It's been impossible to tell how she is at home, as she's never looked to have anything wrong with her.”
The dam, who also has a yearling colt by Dawn Approach (Ire) and a filly foal by Slade Power (Ire), is a half-sister to the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Again (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), herself the dam of the Listed El Gran Senor S. winner Indian Maharaja (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The third dam is the G3 Prix de Lutece winner and G1 Prix Royal-Oak runner-up Floripedes (Fr) (Top Ville {Ire}), who produced the leading racehorse and sire Montjeu (Ire).
Friday, Newmarket, Britain
DUBAI 100 CHALLENGE S.-G2, £163,500, NEW, 10-7, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:23.92, g/f.
1–@ACLAIM (IRE), 127, c, 3, by Acclamation (GB)
1st Dam: Aris (Ire) (SP-Ire), by Danroad (Aus)
2nd Dam: Cumbres (Fr), by Kahyasi (Ire)
3rd Dam: Floripedes, by Top Ville (Ire)
(€130,000 Ylg '14 GOFORB). O-Canning Downs & Partner; B-D Farrington & Canning Downs (IRE); T-Martyn Meade; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £92,721. Lifetime Record: GSP-Ire, 9-5-0-1, $202,280. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lumiere (GB), 124, f, 3, Shamardal–Screen Star (Ire), by Tobougg (Ire). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-Darley (GB); T-Mark Johnston. £35,152.
3–Jallota (GB), 129, g, 5, Rock of Gibraltar (Ire)–Lady Lahar (GB), by Fraam (GB). (100,000gns Ylg '12 TAOCT; 150,000gns 2yo '13 TA13). O-Mrs Fitri Hay; B-Barry Walters (GB); T-Charles Hills. £17,593.
Margins: 1, HF, HF. Odds: 6.00, 8.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Certificate (GB), Cougar Mountain (Ire), Richard Pankhurst (GB), Opal Tiara (Ire), Tasleet (GB), Gifted Master (Ire), So Beloved (GB), Code Red (GB), First Selection (Spa). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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