By Tom Frary
Becoming the sixth individual horse to emerge from Royal Ascot and win, Van Beethoven (Scat Daddy) justified 9-10 favouritism to provide Aidan O'Brien with a 13th renewal of the G2 GAIN Railway S. at The Curragh on Saturday. Just seven days had passed since he was fourth in the Listed Windsor Castle S. over five furlongs in Berkshire and he travelled comfortably off the early pace with Ryan Moore biding his time. Sent upsides Marie's Diamond (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) approaching the final furlong, the bay ground it out to score by a half length, with Certain Lad (GB) (Clodovil {Ire}) 1 1/4 lengths away in third. Despite the workmanlike impression, Ryan Moore was impressed. “He's a very good horse,” he said. “At Ascot things didn't quite work out for him and I think the step up to six furlongs today suited him. I still expect him to improve when he gets into a deeper contest. I think he's better than what he's showed today, he's got an awful lot of ability and in a deeper contest you'll see a better horse.”
This race has often served as a stepping stone to the G1 Phoenix S. back over this course and distance Aug. 12 and his trainer is contemplating a dual raid on that. “In an ideal world, he might have preferred a stronger pace. Ryan said he was a little bit keen, but he galloped home. He may come back here for the Phoenix and Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy) is there as well.”
Pedigree Notes…
Van Beethoven is the second live foal bred from My Sister Sandy (Montbrook), herself a full-sister to the Windward S. scorer Exotic Bloom who is in turn the dam of the triple grade I heroine Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat). The third dam Abidjan (Sir Ivor) was a stakes winner connected to the GI Widener H.-winning sire Hatchet Man (The Axe II) and the GII Dwyer S. scorer Stop the Music (Hail To Reason). My Sister Sandy also has a yearling filly by Tale of the Cat and a 2018 filly by Stormy Atlantic. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
GAIN RAILWAY S.-G2, €115,000, Curragh, 6-30, 2yo, 6fT, 1:12.45, g/f.
1–VAN BEETHOVEN, 129, c, 2, by Scat Daddy
1st Dam: My Sister Sandy, by Montbrook
2nd Dam: Melegant, by Kris S.
3rd Dam: Abidjan, by Sir Ivor
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Derrick Smith,
Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Ballycroy Training Centre
(ON); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €67,850. Lifetime
Record: 5-2-1-1, $118,440. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Marie's Diamond (Ire), 129, c, 2, Footstepsinthesand%20(GB)#tot">Footstepsinthesand (GB)—
Sindiyma (Ire), by Kalanisi (Ire). (€35,000 Ylg '17 TIRSEP).
O-Middleham Park Racing LXXXVI; B-Tony Ashley (IRE); T-Mark
Johnston. €23,000.
3–Certain Lad (GB), 129, c, 2, Clodovil (Ire)–Chelsey Jayne (Ire),
by Galileo (Ire). (13,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-C R Hirst; B-Barry
Walters (GB); T-Mick Channon. €11,500.
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 0.90, 7.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Highland Fortune, North Wind (Ire), Invincible Karma (Ire), Invasion Day (Ire). Scratched: Land Force (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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