By Tom Frary
Brother Bear beat Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy) on debut at Leopardstown May 7 and the form was boosted by the success of the third Camelback (Exchange Rate) at that Dublin venue on Friday. Always close to the pace set by US Navy Flag, the bay began to take control approaching the final furlong and despite drifting left from the centre of the track to the stand's rail stayed on to secure the black-type win. “He's done it well and is improving,” commented rider Colm O'Donoghue. “I was in front plenty soon enough, but he has to go through these stages if he is to progress. Jessie thought he'd handle ease, but it's proper soft. He settled well and has a gear.” His trainer added, “He rolled around a bit on the ground, but you'd expect that as they are very different conditions to last time. I thought it would be too quick at Leopardstown, but he handled it well there and has handled this as well so it takes the state of the ground out of the equation. It looks like we will go for the [G2] Coventry [S. at Royal Ascot June 20] and we'll see what happens there.”
The dam, who also has a yearling filly by Camelot (GB), is an unraced daughter of the stakes-winning Victorica (Exbourne) which makes her a half to the Listed Rochestown S. winner and G3 Superlative S. third King Hesperus (Kingmambo) and the stakes-placed Lady Clara (Hard Spun). Victorica is a half-sister to the Listed European Free H. scorer and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and GI Hollywood Derby-placed Noble Minstrel (The Minstrel) and Naughty Natisha (Known Fact) who is the dam of the GIII Red Smith H. winner Naughty New Yorker (Quiet American).
COLD MOVE IRISH EBF MARBLE HILL S.-Listed, €60,000, CUR, 5-27, 2yo, 6fT, 1:16.51, yl.
1–#BROTHER BEAR (IRE), 129, c, 2, by Kodiac (GB)
1st Dam: Hurricane Emma, by Mr. Greeley
2nd Dam: Victorica, by Exbourne
3rd Dam: Noble Natisha, by Noble Commander
(125,000gns Ylg '16 TAOCT). O-Mill House LLC; B-Martin White (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Colm O'Donoghue. €35,400. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $51,435.[bullet ad=”bba-ireland-shell”]2–Would Be King (Ire), 129, c, 2, Lethal Force (Ire)–Smart Coco, by Smarty Jones. (€18,500 Wlg '15 GOFNOV; €42,000 Ylg '16 GOFORB). O-Gaelic Thoroughbreds. €12,000.[bullet ad=”buckley-bloodstock”]3–U S Navy Flag, 129, c, 2, War Front–Misty For Me (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor. €6,000.[bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred”]Margins: 3, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 2.00, 7.00, 14.00.
Also Ran: Aqabah, Gold Town (GB), Sioux Nation, Mount Wellington (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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