By Sean Cronin
AVENUE INN DUNDALK PATTON S.-Listed, €45,000, DUN, 4-12, 3yo, 7f (AWT), 1:24.76, stn.
1–#WAR SECRETARY, 129, c, 3, by War Front
1st Dam: Upperline (MGSW & GISP-US, $772,988), by Maria's Mon
2nd Dam: Snowflake (Ire), by Caerleon
3rd Dam: Ivyanna (Ire), by Reference Point (GB)
($825,000 RNA Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Town & Country Farms Corp (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €26,550. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, €35,160.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-congrats-to-coolmore-and-town-country”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”]2–Noivado (Ire), 129, c, 3, Casamento (Ire)–Maybe I Will (Ire), by Hawk Wing. (28,000gns Wlg '14 TATFOA; £20,000 Ylg '15 DNPRM). O-Sean Jones. €9,000.
3–Ambassadorial, 129, c, 3, Elusive Quality–Tactfully (Ire), by Discreet Cat. O-Godolphin. €4,500.[bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred”]Margins: NK, 2, 1. Odds: 2.50, 8.00, 1.50.
Also Ran: Intelligence Cross, Holistic Approach (Ire), Hit The Bid (GB).
War Secretary was a May 22 debut seventh, in a six-furlong Curragh maiden featuring subsequent G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. and G1 Dewhurst S. winner Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and graduated when upped one panel over this course and distance in his juvenile season closer last time Oct. 26. Asserting for control after the initial exchanges of this sophomore return, he came under pressure when threatened just inside the quarter-mile marker and kept on gamely under a power drive in the closing stages to claim a first black-type rosette. “He has been working nicely at home and we were hoping he would win,” revealed winning rider Seamus Heffernan. “Like all of them, we are hoping he will improve plenty for the run and is a likeable sort.”
War Secretary is the first stakes scorer out of MGSW GI Spinster S. third Upperline (Maria's Mon), herself a half-sister to dual stakes winner Snow Fall (War Front), and is kin to the 2-year-old filly by Snowfire (Tapit). Upperline was bred back to War Front last year. His granddam is G1 Nassau S. second Snowflake (Ire) (Caerleon), who is a daughter of G1 Oaks d'Italia heroine Ivyanna (Ire) (Reference Point {GB}), who in turn is a half-sister to G1 Fillies' Mile third Iviza (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) out of a half to GI Santa Anita Derby-winning sire An Act (Pretense). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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