By Tom Frary
Coming into Sunday's G3 Amethyst S. against older rivals on the back of wins over seven furlongs and a mile at Dundalk Dec. 22 and Mar. 23, Zihba (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) took it all in his stride to book a ticket to the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh in 13 days's time. Settled fourth early by Chris Hayes, the 5-2 favourite was committed approaching the furlong pole and led soon after en route to a 1 1/2-length success from Pincheck (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
“It is not easy beating those older horses, but he was getting the weight and he did it well,” trainer Fozzy Stack said. “I'm sure we will line up in the 2000 Guineas. Whether he is good enough or not, we will see. He wants fast ground and we've kind of waited for it. We thought about going for the Tetrarch or the Craven, but this is where we ended up coming in the end. He has always pleased us.”
Jockey Chris Hayes was taken by the winner, who will have to raise his game again as he meets the likes of Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Gustav Klimt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in his first major examination. “It is a fair ask for a 3-year-old to do that against hardened horses,” he said. “I probably got to the front a fraction too soon on him, but he dug it out very well. I think he'll improve for that fitness-wise and mentally, as it was his first run on grass. I like him. He doesn't quicken away and put daylight between horses, but he doesn't have to. He'll be a good ride in an Irish Guineas.”
Pedigree Notes…
Whether Zihba has the class to make an impact on the first Irish Classic of 2018 remains to be seen, but this represented a step up from beating exposed rivals on the Polytrack and he has some top-class threads running through his pedigree. His third dam is the G3 Molecomb S. scorer Sahara Star (GB) (Green Desert), whose G2 Flying Childers S.-winning daughter Land of Dreams (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) was responsible for the five-times Group 1-winning luminary Dream Ahead (Diktat {GB}). Land of Dreams is also the second dam of Now Or Never (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}), who was runner-up in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas before winning the G2 Rose of Kingston S., as well as being a half to the dam of the G3 Princess Margaret S. scorer and G1 Cheveley Park S. runner-up Princess Noor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). The dam Fancy Vivid also has a yearling colt by Anjaal (GB) who fetched just €8,000 before Zihba had set foot on a racecourse at Goffs November. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Sunday, Leopardstown, Ireland
AMETHYST S.-G3, €60,000, LEO, 5-13, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:42.18, gd.
1–ZIHBA (IRE), 122, c, 3, by Choisir (Aus)
1st Dam: Fancy Vivid (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Starchy (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
3rd Dam: Sahara Star (GB), by Green Desert
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€62,000 Ylg '16
TIRSEP). O-Britton/Werrett/McGuinness/ReidScott; B-Mark &
Caroline Hanly (IRE); T-Fozzy Stack; J-Chris Hayes. €35,400.
Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $64,617. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pincheck (Ire), 135, g, 4, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Arty Crafty, by
Arch. (€370,000 Ylg '15 GOFORB). O-Jon Kelly; B-Airlie Stud
(IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €12,000.
3–True Valour (Ire), 135, c, 4, Kodiac (GB)–Sutton Veny (Ire), by
Acclamation (GB). (19,000gns Wlg '14 TATFOA; €100,000 2yo
'16 GBMBR). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-P O'Rourke (IRE); T-Johnny
Murtagh. €6,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.50, 6.00, 3.00.
Also Ran: Tennessee Wildcat (Ire), Gordon Lord Byron (Ire), Tribal Beat (Ire), Brendan Brackan (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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