Pivotal's Brando Takes the Maurice de Gheest

Brando | Scoop Dyga

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Like his iconic namesake, Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) has had his setbacks but on Sunday the Deauville crowds had their popcorn moment as Angie Bailey's pride and joy put up an academy-award performance in the G1 LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest. Coming back from a well-documented burst blood vessel when a strong-finishing third in the G1 July Cup, the 10-1 shot came to Normandy in peak order to lead home a British one-two-three-four to spotlight the health of the country's current sprinting crop. Always travelling strongly off the genuine pace, he was committed by Tom Eaves over a furlong out and got first run on Aclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) there before holding his compatriot by a half length. “He had bounced back in the July Cup after his problem and we knew he was even better today,” trainer Kevin Ryan commented. “He was lighter and fitter and that made a difference. The ground was beautiful today–I was very confident when I saw him cruising off that fast pace and he won very nicely.”

Sunday, Deauville, France
LARC PRIX MAURICE DE GHEEST-G1, €380,000, DVL, 8-6, 3yo/up, 6 1/2fT, 1:15.61, gd.
1–BRANDO (GB), 129, g, 5, by Pivotal (GB)
1st Dam: Argent du Bois, by Silver Hawk
2nd Dam: Wiener Wald, by Woodman
3rd Dam: Chapel of Dreams, by Northern Dancer
*1st Group 1 win. (52,000gns Ylg '13 TAOCT; 115,000gns 2yo '14 TATBRE). O-Mrs Angie Bailey; B-Car Colston Hall Stud (GB); T-Kevin Ryan; J-Tom Eaves. €217,132. Lifetime Record: MGSW & MG1SP-Eng, GSP-Ire, 20-7-5-3, €734,306. *1/2 to Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}), MGISW-US & SP-Eng, $1,452,396. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Aclaim (Ire), 129, c, 4, Acclamation (GB)–Aris (Ire), by Danroad (Aus). (€130,000 Ylg '14 GOFORB). O-Canning Downs & Partner; B-D Farrington & Canning Downs (IRE); T-Martyn Meade. €86,868.
3–Tupi (Ire), 129, g, 5, Tamayuz (GB)–Carioca (Ire), by Rakti (GB). (100,000gns Ylg '13 TAOCT). O-Michael Kerr-Dineen & Martin Hughes; B-Kabansk Ltd & Rathbarry Stud (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. €43,434.
Margins: HF, 1 3/4, 2. Odds: 10.40, 37.80, 153.10.
Also Ran: Magical Memory (Ire), Signs of Blessing (Ire), Caravaggio, The Right Man (GB), Zalamea (Ire), Rosa Imperial (Ire), Bound for Nowhere, Black Max (Fr), Intelligence Cross, Fas (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Angie Bailey has horses with Ryan named Savalas, Bogart, Hemingway and Hitchcock and the chances were that one would eventually reach some sort of acclaim and be honoured with their own racing version of a Hollywood Boulevard star. That it would be Brando seemed unlikely after his winless 2-year-old campaign, but a gelding operation that would have made his acting alter ego wince ironically made a man of him. Four of his seven starts after that intervention resulted in wins, culminating in a pattern success in the five-furlong G3 Sandown Sprint S. last July two weeks after a runner-up finish in Royal Ascot's Wokingham H. and then two encounters with Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) also over five resulted in a second in The Curragh's G2 Sapphire S. and a ninth in the G1 Nunthorpe S. at York.

While a lesser racehorse would have baulked at beatings from that femme fatale, Brando came over all Stanley Kowalski by capturing the Ayr Gold Cup under topweight from another group-calibre sprinter masquerading as a handicapper in that time-honoured six-furlong prize. Staying at that trip to be third in Ascot's G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint S. in October, the chestnut returned in formidable mood when adding Newmarket's G3 Abernant S. to his tally Apr. 20 before putting in his equivalent of the celluloid flop “A Countess from Hong Kong” when last of 12 in the May 17 G2 Duke of York S. It transpired that he had bled there, something his trainer revealed had happened before on York's Knavesmire, and a subsequent break saw him return in something like career-best form when staying on strongly to be 1 3/4-lengths third in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket July 15.

With the benefit of hindsight, Brando's breakthrough moment here could have been predicted due to his generally relentless progression to the top and were it not for the presence of Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) he would have traded shorter than a generous 10-1. As soon as Ballydoyle's G1 Commonwealth Cup hero flopped from the stalls once again the writing was on the wall for the favourite who was always facing a stiff task attempting to make up a sizeable deficit on last year's winner Signs of Blessing (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who was kept honest by Intelligence Cross (War Front). While Caravaggio's progress was laboured, Brando travelled with all the swagger of the icon he commemorates halfway down the field. As the strong pace began to take its toll on the leaders inside the last two furlongs, he moved with menace behind Signs of Blessing and once committed by Tom Eaves approaching the furlong pole had only the rail-running Aclaim to keep him company. Compatriots Tupi and Magical Memory (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) were in the next two places, completing the British rout.

Kevin Ryan, who like Clive Cox has made his name with several modestly-priced over-achieving sprinters down the years, had been forced to shut up shop in early June after one of his horses tested positive for Equine Herpes Virus, so the result took on greater significance. “It's a great day,” he said. “He got a great ride and he was exceptional today. We'll look at Haydock [for the G1 Sprint Cup Sept. 9] next and the [G1 Prix de la] Foret [at Chantilly Oct. 1] and finish in the [G1 Qipco] British Champions Sprint at Ascot.” Aclaim's trainer Martyn Meade was delighted with the runner-up's effort just five days after finishing sixth in the G2 Lennox S. at Goodwood. “He was very unlucky in the Lennox. He didn't have a hard race as he just got no run at all, which is why we decided to run him again,” he said. “He was obviously in sparkling form today. I think a little bit more ease in the ground would have suited him better. We've just bumped into one too good on the day, but we were only beaten half a length and it was a great effort. We'll see how he comes out of the race. I think the Prix de la Foret is probably what we'll aim for, but he is quite a hard horse so I would imagine he'll run again before then. I think seven furlongs is probably the ideal trip for him.” Caravaggio's second successive off-the-board effort had Aidan O'Brien scratching his head and he commented, “Maybe I ran too close after Newmarket.”

Brando's success story was never a far-fetched one on pedigree, being a daughter of the excellent producer Argent du Bois who is also the dam of the GI American Oaks Invitational and GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup heroine winner Ticker Tape. Her daughter Royal Decree (Street Cry {Ire}) is the dam of last year's G2 Vintage S. winner War Decree (War Front), while one of her stakes-placed half-sisters Sant Elena (GB) (Efisio {GB}) produced the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S.-winning European highweight Reckless Abandon (GB) (Exchange Rate) and this year's G2 TV Tokyo Hai Aoba Sho (Japanese Derby Trial) runner-up Best Approach (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). Argent du Bois is a half-sister to the G1 Racing Post Trophy scorer Crowded House (GB) (Rainbow Quest) and Vienna Affair (GB) (Red Ransom), dam of the GII Lake George S. and GIII Appalachian S. heroine Daring Dancer (Empire Maker). The third dam is the the GII Palomar H. and GII Wilshire H. winner Chapel of Dreams (Northern Dancer), a half-sister to Storm Cat who was also runner-up in the GI Ramona H. and GI Gamely H. and is the second dam of the GII Peter Pan S.-winning sire Postponed. Next up from Argent du Bois is a yearling colt by Cape Cross (Ire).

 

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