Galileo's Winter Downs Stablemate Rhododendron In the Guineas

The subject of a gamble midweek, Susan Magnier's Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who started at 9-1 enjoyed a straightforward trip under Wayne Lordan to upstage her more troubled stablemate Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and capture Sunday's G1 Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket with authority. Catching the eye when second in the seven-furlong G3 1000 Guineas Trial S. at Leopardstown Apr. 8, the former David Wachman-trained grey tracked the pace closely and after striking the front before the quarter pole quickly built up a sizeable advantage as the 5-4 favourite had to be checked in behind. When Rhododendron was freed by Ryan Moore, Winter was away and gone and at the line there was a two-length margin between the Magnier-owned duo who delivered another one-two for their famed sire, with Daban (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) best of the Brits a neck behind in third. “She is a pretty straightforward filly and has a high cruising speed, so I just followed the pace,” Lordan said of Winter, whose time was a second quicker than Churchill's 24 hours earlier. “She stays very well and nothing really bothers her–she's a big filly who is progressive and I think she'll get a mile and a quarter. I knew whoever came at me would deserve it if they came by me.”

Sunday, Newmarket, Britain
QIPCO 1000 GUINEAS S.-G1, £500,000, NEW, 5-7, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:35.66, g/f.
1–#@&WINTER (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Laddies Poker Two (Ire), by Choisir (Aus)
2nd Dam: Break of Day, by Favorite Trick
3rd Dam: Quelle Affaire, by Riverman
O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Laddies Poker Two Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Wayne Lordan. £283,550. Lifetime Record: GSP-Ire, 5-2-1-2, $393,886. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Rhododendron (Ire), 126, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Halfway To Heaven (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £107,500.
3–Daban (Ire), 126, f, 3, Acclamation (GB)–Malaspina (Ire), by Whipper. (70,000gns RNA Ylg '15 TAOCT; 260,000gns 2yo '16 TATHIT). O-Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah; B-Kildaragh Stud (IRE); T-John Gosden. £53,800.
Margins: 2, NK, 1 1/4. Odds: 9.00, 1.25, 5.00.
Also Ran: Talaayeb (GB), Fair Eva (GB), Unforgetable Filly (GB), Poet's Vanity (GB), Urban Fox (GB), Queen Kindly (GB), Hydrangea (Ire), Kilmah (GB), Intricately (Ire), Ce La Vie (GB), Dream Start (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Like the recent G3 Ballysax S. winner Rekindling (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}), Winter was a David Wachman project prior to his retirement at the end of last year whose light stayed under a bushel as she endured a stop-start campaign under an admiring Wayne Lordan. Precocious enough to be third behind Ballydoyle's Cuff (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) on debut over six furlongs at Naas in May, she was absent for two months until returning to fill that spot again as the even-money favourite for a mile maiden at Gowran Park won by another from Rosegreen in Butterflies (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Off the mark over seven on Dundalk's Polytrack in August, she was not seen again until her debut for her new stable in the 1000 Guineas Trial. Just denied by Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) there, with the subsequent G3 Athasi S. winner Rehana (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Sunday's G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial scorer Bean Feasa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in third and fifth, she had forced her way into this line-up despite the commanding presence of Rhododendron who had so long dominated the ante-post market.

Understandably, there was much excitement about the fortunes of Frankel (GB) heading into the Guineas meeting but ultimately it was his sire Galileo who yet again proved that he is the daddy in the championship events. With the pace-carving Hydrangea fading out of contention late, there was to be no repeat of the Coolmore giant's one-two-three of 12 months ago and he had merely a forecast this time to satisfy his insatiable lust for domination of the biggest prizes. All the betting suggested beforehand it would be Ballydoyle again here and so it proved, but there were shades of Homecoming Queen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Maybe (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the 2012 edition when they were 25-1 and 13-8 respectively and the former stormed away from the first string.

Winter's preparatory work had ensured she would start much shorter than Homecoming Queen and with that precedent to call upon it was no surprise to see her odds shrink from 33-1 approaching the race but the vibes for Rhododendron were strong enough to suggest an upset was not on the cards. As the early stages unfolded, with Hydrangea and compatriot Intricately (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) disputing the lead and forcing a generous pace in the process, Winter was perfectly placed to exploit her natural pace by Lordan just behind them. Winter was sent up to take over from that pair with over two furlongs left, while Ryan Moore was about to become a rare victim of traffic problems with Hydrangea coming back on to his mount and forcing her to change direction and lose momentum. When she eventually found space between the Nell Gwyn-placed Unforgetable Filly (GB) (Sepoy {Aus}) and Poet's Vanity (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}) heading down into the “dip”, her stable companion was too far gone but the favourite ate up the ground to inhale TDN Rising Star Talaayeb (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Daban and narrow the winning margin.

Aidan O'Brien, who was enjoying a fourth renewal, said, “David [Wachman] always thought the world of her and told us she was going to be a Classic filly. She's a fine, big powerful filly and has been doing better every week. The second filly ran a great race and came home very well and we always thought that she was a filly who was going to stay very well. I would say Ryan will look forward to her the next day. Ryan thought going out that she would stay very well in the future and we thought she could be an Oaks filly. Wayne said a mile and a quarter should be no problem for Winter. After that you're never sure, but that's a good sign.”

Michael Tabor was on hand to reflect on yet another stellar weekend for Team Ballydoyle. “It can't get any better than that, I suppose,” he said. “Aidan is a man full of confidence that does the right thing most of the time and his horses seem to improve from two to three and their three-year-old career seems to get better and better. That's the mark of the man. You got the impression Rhododendron was unlucky, but when you looked at the winner she was always travelling within herself and she might have pulled out more. Whether Rhododendron with a clear run would have beaten her, I wouldn't be too sure.”

Daban will be dropping back in distance now according to trainer John Gosden. “She has won a Nell Gwyn and finished third in a Guineas and she will go back for the [G3] Jersey [S. at Royal Ascot June 21],” he said. “That's the way to go with her and I couldn't be happier with her. She ran great and put it all in. It is a strongly-run mile and, as I said before, my concern was stamina as she is not bred to get a mile.”

Winter is the second foal and first winner out of Laddies Poker Two, who was also a major gamble when taking Royal Ascot's Wokingham H. in 2010. That proved to be her last outing, which perhaps denied the public something special as she covered that six-furlong trip in a quicker time than the preceding G1 Golden Jubilee S. won by another of Choisir's progeny in Starspangledbanner (Aus). The third dam Quelle Affaire, a daughter of the French juvenile champion and G1 Prix Morny heroine Ancient Regime (Olden Times), is a full-sister to the G3 Concorde S.-winning sire Rami and a half to the G3 Prix Eclipse-winning sire Crack Regiment as well as the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp runner-up La Grande Epoque (Lyphard). Laddies Poker Two has two more daughters of Galileo to come, a 2-year-old named Chariot (Ire) and a yearling.