By Tom Frary
There was a jockey go-round in the lead-up to this deep renewal, with the withdrawal of Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) meaning that Ryan Moore took the ride on Magical who had led at every step under Donnacha O'Brien in the G2 Debutante S. over this track and trip Aug. 20. Aidan O'Brien's latest jockey son was therefore switched to Happily, who had earned such plaudits from Moore after they had plundered the G3 Silver Flash S. by five lengths over this trip at Leopardstown July 27. That followed a course-and-distance maiden win June 30 which in turn proceeded a seventh on her introduction behind TDN Rising Star September also at Leopardstown June 8. Beaten 1 1/4 lengths in similar conditions by Magical last time, Happily showed here she is a filly going forward by wiping out that margin and putting extra distance between her and September.
Breaking best of all before Donnacha took a pull to allow Magical the lead, the imposing bay tracked her stablemate and TDN Rising Star Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and was under pressure in the soft ground as Magical began to see off the Niarchos homebred who remarkably started a favourite over the Rosegreen quartet. When the whip was applied and September arrived on her tail, Happily gave extra to grind out the win in the shade of the post and lead home yet another Ballydoyle one-two-three. Aidan O'Brien was securing a record eighth win in the race and said, “Happily ran a stormer the last day and obviously came forward a good bit. She has a lot of options now, including the [Oct. 13 G1] Fillies' Mile [at Newmarket] and the [G1] Prix Marcel Boussac [at Chantilly Oct. 1]. The lads will sit down and think about it all, but all those races are open to her. Donnacha gave her a great ride. He was delighted to be on Happily. In all fairness, they never question anything and that was just the way it happened. When the other filly [Clemmie] didn't run, Ryan got on Magical. It's strange the way things happen. All the fillies that ran are seven-furlong or mile fillies. I wouldn't shorten up any of them. They would be fillies for the Boussac and the Fillies' Mile, while Clemmie could go for the [G1] Cheveley Park [S. at Newmarket Sept. 30].”
Happily is the latest Galileo prodigy out of the G2 Cherry Hinton S. and G3 Swordlestown Stud Sprint S. winner You'resothrilling, whose full-sister Pearling is the dam of Saturday's G1 Irish Champion S. hero Decorated Knight (Ire) who is also by the undisputed king of Coolmore. The winner looks firmly in the mold of this stable's Classic-winning Gleneagles (Ire) and Marvellous (Ire) and already better than Saturday's Irish Champion fifth Taj Mahal (Ire) who was previously runner-up in the GI Secretariat
S. and also the G3 C.L. & M.F. Weld Park S. winner and GI Belmont Oaks Invitational third Coolmore (Ire). The second dam, the GII Turfway Park Budweiser Breeders' Cup S. and GII Arlington-Washington Lassie S. heroine Mariah's Storm, needs no introduction as the producer of Giant's Causeway and several others she has sprinkled with fairy dust. You'resothrilling's 2017 Galileo is a colt who will carry a weight of expectation when he finally appears for this stable.
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
MOYGLARE STUD S.-G1, €350,000, CUR, 9-10, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:26.93, s/h.
1–HAPPILY (IRE), 126, f, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: You'resothrilling (GSW-Eng & Ire, $219,415), by Storm Cat
2nd Dam: Mariah's Storm, by Rahy
3rd Dam: Immense, by Roberto
*1st Group 1 win. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Orpendale & Chelston Ireland (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Donnacha O'Brien. €199,500. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $321,477. *Full to Gleneagles (Ire), Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 7-9.5f, Hwt, 2yo Colt-Ire, MG1SW-Eng & Ire & G1SP-Fr, $1,427,036; Marvellous (Ire), G1SW-Ire, $262,665; Coolmore (Ire), GSW-Ire & GISP-US, $238,593; and Taj Mahal (Ire), GISP-US & GSP-Ire, $272,354. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Magical (Ire), 126, f, 2, Galileo (Ire)—Halfway to Heaven (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €70,000.
3–September (Ire), 126, f, 2, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Peeping Fawn, by Danehill. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale & Chelston (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €35,000.
Margins: NO, 3 3/4, 2. Odds: 6.50, 2.25, 4.00.
Also Ran: Muirin (Ire), Alpha Centauri (Ire), Gasta (Ire), Ballet Shoes (Ire), Active Approach (GB). Scratched: Chiara Luna, Clemmie (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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