May 16, 2025 - Leopardstown, Race 1, EUR €20,000, 7f 52yT, 2yo
Dam: Bound (Ire) (SW-Ire) , by Galileo (Ire)
Owner: Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Brant, Westerberg
Breeder: Lordship Stud (GB)
Trainer: Aidan O'Brien
Leopardstown's opener on Friday is always a maiden marked out by the big yards and there was again the hint of the beginning of something as Ballydoyle's Italy gained TDN Rising Star status. All the rage at 4-9 for the extended seven-furlong contest, Wootton Bassett's half-brother to the deeply promising Bowmark who had won at York minutes earlier was settled behind the leading duo by Wayne Lordan throughout the initial stages. Sent after Thesecretadversary passing two out, the relative of the Derby hero Serpentine collared that son of St Mark's Basilica in the last 50 yards for a smooth 3/4-of-a-length success.
As a measure of what the newcomer had achieved, there was a further 4 1/2 lengths back to Siyouni's Ipanema Beach who had the benefit of experience having been fourth to another TDN Rising Star from Rosegreen, Charles Darwin. Italy becomes his sire's 13th TDN Rising Star just days after the stable's Albert Einstein wowed at Naas. He is the third among the juvenile crop of 2025, with the filly Simply Astounding also earning the tag at Naas last month. The tally includes last year's juvenile Group 1 winners Camille Pissarro and Twain.
Aidan O'Brien had won this with the well-touted TDN Rising Star Alfred Munnings in 2022, who went on to disappoint at Royal Ascot, while last year's renewal boasted the subsequent Group 1 winners Scorthy Champ and Hotazhell as well as this yard's Group 1-placed Mount Kilimanjaro. “He was never away before so he would have been very green and they went a good gallop,” he said. “He has a bit of quality and Wayne gave him a lovely ride. He taught him plenty and he will have leaned a lot from that. He could come back here for the [G3] Tyros.”
Italy's listed-winning dam Bound is a daughter of Danehill Dancer's Oaks runner-up Remember When, whose seven black-type performers include Galileo's aforementioned Derby hero Serpentine, Group 3 winner and Oaks third Bye Bye Baby and Group 2 winner and G1 Nassau Stakes runner-up Wedding Vow. The latter is now the dam of the Listed Dee Stakes winner and G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes and G2 Royal Lodge Stakes-placed Capulet by Justify, while the third dam is Lagrion who produced the champions Dylan Thomas and Queen's Logic and the 1,000 Guineas heroine Homecoming Queen.
As mentioned, Bound's 3-year-old son of Kingman, another TDN Rising Star in Bowmark, was second in the Listed Burradon Stakes and looks a high-class prospect for the Gosdens, while her yearling filly is by Baaeed.
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