Sea the Stars's Knight To Behold Dominates the Derby Trial

While all the world looks to Aidan O'Brien to dominate the upcoming Derby with Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Rostropovich (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and his G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial trio, there are at least two from outside influences who have forced their way into the blue riband picture this week and one of them is the strikingly impressive Knight To Behold. John Dunlop's Arundel stable won this four times, with the most recent being in 2005 with Kong (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and it was his owner Neil Jones who was enjoying a throwback moment courtesy of that trainer's son Harry here. All the focus beforehand was on last year's Listed Zetland S. winner Kew Gardens and the market spoke loud and clear that he was expected to leave the tepid form of his comeback third in the Listed Feilden S. well behind him. In the event, he was unable to match Knight To Behold's pace at any stage with the latter tanking to the front after the first three furlongs in the hands of Richard Kingscote who had displayed similar dexterity from a wide post on Friday's outstanding Chester winner Kachy (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}).
By the time the eventual winner came to run downhill to the home bend, he had a sizeable advantage and Ryan Moore was expecting and hoping he had gone off too quick and would fold as he sought to narrow the yawning gap on Kew Gardens. Cornering with real dexterity, Knight To Behold was given a breather in the clear and when the Ballydoyle favourite got to withing shouting distance he was able to extend again and stamp his class on proceedings. Having taken in the time-honoured Haynes, Hanson & Clark Conditions S. at Newbury in September which had played host to the likes of Henbit, Shergar (GB) and Rainbow Quest, the bay from the family of the St Leger hero Millenary (GB), a son of the latter, was an eyectahing runner-up to White Mocha (Lope de Vega {Ire}) on debut there. His success at Newmarket the following month was respectable, but gave little indication that he would produce a performance of this nature on his 3-year-old bow and his trainer was taken aback. “That was very exciting and he's improved a lot from last year–he is bred to stay and that is the key factor,” he said. “He's quite hard to gauge, as he was very babyish last year but was up for it today. He was a horse that was always going to improve and we've loved him from day one. He is a wonderful mover. The Derby certainly is an option and I know Neil Jones is keen on Royal Ascot as well. The way he won here, he has to have a go at the Derby–he quickened away and should improve quite a lot for this, as we've had niggly little things go wrong with him and the team have done a great job.”
Knight To Behold, a play on words like that used for his sire, has all the credentials required for the blue riband. He is the third black-type winner for the unraced Angel of the Gwaun alongside the G3 Blue Wind S. winner Beauty O'Gwaun and the G3 Diamond H. winner Cosmo Meadow (Ire) (King's Best). The dam is a half-sister to the aforementioned Millenary, an 11-times pattern-race winning stalwart of Arundel and his G3 Princess Royal S.-winning full-sister Head In the Clouds (Ire). The latter in turn produced the Listed Vintage Crop S. winner and G1 Irish Oaks runner-up Roses For the Lady (Ire) from matings with Sadler's Wells, wile the third dam Dancing Shadow is kin to the G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Sun Princess (GB) and the G1 Coronation Cup hero Saddlers' Hall (Ire) and boasts the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Petrushka (Ire) (Unfuwain), the dual GI Breeders' Cup Turf hero Conduit (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Spectrum (Ire) (Rainbow Quest) among her own descendants. Ballerina's Let the Lion Roar (GB) (Sadler's Wells) was the closest this family came to winning the Epsom Derby, beaten under two lengths into third in the 2004 renewal. Angel of the Gwaun also has a yearling colt by Dark Angel (Ire) named Angel On High (Ire).
Dunlop was left pondering a trip to the Derby with a real contender of his own for one of British racing's great racing families. “I was there when Erhaab won for dad and I was only two when Shirley Heights won,” he added. “Seeing Ed win the Oaks with Ouija Board, it is just an incredible place. It is amazing and I've got to pinch myself. We could take him to the “Breakfast With the Stars”. I will talk to owner.” Another with links to a former Leger winner was the third-placed Corelli, a half-brother to Lucarno (Dynaformer), who is likely to skip Epsom and build up steadily to the Doncaster Classic according to trainer John Gosden. “We will just take our time with him, as I see him more as a Leger type,” he said. “He ran a nice race, but is more a horse for the second half of the year. I will just wait for something like the [G3] Bahrain Trophy at the July Festival. Frankie [Dettori] said he still feels a little bit weak. He is a tall horse and has not yet filled out.”

Saturday, Lingfield, Britain
BETFRED DERBY TRIAL S.-Listed, £60,000, LIN, 5-12, 3yo, c/g, 11f 133yT, 2:28.19, g/f.
1–KNIGHT TO BEHOLD (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Angel of the Gwaun (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
2nd Dam: Ballerina (Ire), by Dancing Brave
3rd Dam: Dancing Shadow (Ire), by Dancer's Image
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Neil Jones; B-Abergwaun Farms (IRE); T-Harry Dunlop; J-Richard Kingscote. £34,026. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $58,624. *1/2 to Cosmo Meadow (Ire) (King's Best), GSW-Jpn, $1,569,342; Beauty O' Gwaun (Ire) (Rainbow Quest), GSW-Ire, $108,525; and Angelonmyshoulder (GB) (King's Best), MSP-US, $272,206.
2–Kew Gardens (Ire), 129, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Chelsea Rose (Ire), by Desert King (Ire). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor. £12,900.
3–Corelli, 126, c, 3, Point of Entry–Vignette, by Diesis (GB). O-George Strawbridge. £6,456.
Margins: 3 1/4, 7, 4. Odds: 7.00, 0.70, 4.00.
Also Ran: Thrave (GB), Star of Southwold (Fr), Wax and Wane (GB), Technological (GB), Thunderhooves (GB), King and Empire (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.