Shamardal's Pinatubo Streaks The National

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If there were any doubts that Godolphin's Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) would be crowned champion 2-year-old before Sunday's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. at The Curragh, there will be none after this brilliant performance the like of which is rarely seen. Duping those around him as usual as William Buick pushed him along just over two lengths off the honest early pace, the impressive G2 Vintage S. winner came alive alongside Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) as a 1-3 favourite should approaching two out. Leaving that G2 Coventry S. scorer standing, the homebred was Maserati-like from there as he thoroughly outclassed him and the G3 Tyros S. and G2 Futurity S. winner Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). At the line, Pinatubo was still powering over the hallowed Kildare turf with an astounding official nine-length margin between him and Armory, who has so far looked up there with some of the better Ballydoyle juveniles of recent times. He was in turn a neck ahead of Arizona, but they were fighting out what were very much minor placings in this instance. “He's the best horse I've had as a 2-year-old, no doubt about it, and he's very exciting,” Charlie Appleby said. “I see no reason why he wouldn't go for the Dewhurst, as he's just had a piece of work there.”

Introduced over six furlongs on Wolverhampton's Tapeta May 10, Pinatubo beat the subsequent G2 July S. runner-up Platinum Star (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) by 3 1/4 lengths in a showing that can only now be fully understood. Next up was Epsom's helter-skelter Woodcote Conditions S. on Oaks day May 31 and he cruised through that difficult test of balance and ability before moving up a furlong for the Listed Chesham S. at Royal Ascot June 22. All the talk was for Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) on that occasion, but Pinatubo brushed him aside with another 3 1/4-length success before putting 10 lengths between them next time in Goodwood's Vintage July 30. Halfway in between the pair was Positive (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) and if his subsequent success in the G3 Solario S. was not enough to promote Pinatubo to stardom this significant upgrade certainly was.

This was a typical National S. run at a searching gallop with Mark Johnston's raider Monoski (Street Boss) leading Arizona and the Futurity third Geometrical (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) with Armory and Ryan Moore waiting to inflict some damage at the business end. The latter stayed with Pinatubo to halfway, but he was soon floundering as the royal blue silks sprinted away to upstage this operation's past winners Dubawi (Ire) and his son Quorto (Ire). Buick partnered the latter to success from Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 12 months ago and he is best-placed to offer comparison. “Quorto was impressive last year and he beat a subsequent Derby winner, but this was special,” he said. “It was a proper group one and it was a hugely exciting performance–it felt as good as it looked. He adapts to all of the different circumstances in a race and just keeps lengthening and quickening to the line.”

This display is bound to attract speak of the 2-year-old legends Arazi, Zafonic, Xaar (GB) and Frankel (GB) and it remains to be seen whether Pinatubo falls in the category of great juvenile who goes on to 2000 Guineas glory or who falls by the wayside at three. On pedigree, there is no reason why the mile at Newmarket will pose any kind of problem even if his natural superiority is slightly diminished over the winter. With Andre Fabre set on bringing the exciting and similarly unbeaten Earthlight (Ire) across to the Newmarket Classic, there is a chance that the two sons of Shamardal could clash if the powers that be refuse to intervene to keep them apart.

Appleby added, “He is so hard to work out at home. I gave him a gallop midweek with some of the nicer two-year-olds trying to give myself a bit of confidence if anything, but I probably did the reverse as [Saturday's G2 Champagne S. runner-up] Royal Crusade put him in his place! He's a horse we didn't know was in the yard and that's why he turned up at Wolverhampton first time. We almost can't raise a gallop from him at home, but he's a trainer's dream once you get to know him. James [Doyle] said he didn't really travel in the first half of the race at Goodwood and I told William this morning not to panic if he wasn't travelling early. He eats, drinks, sleeps and that's the end of it. We only ever see the best of him when he turns up at the track, which is a nice position to be in.”

“The way he's developed as an individual over the last six week has been noticeable,” his trainer continued. “People were questioning whether he would just be a two-year-old, but he's got a nice walk and presence about him. I'll have to discuss things with Sheikh Mohammed, but the way he's won there the [G1] Dewhurst [S. at Newmarket Oct. 12] is there for him. It's great for the team raised and he was raised at Kildangan there.”

Pinatubo's dam Lava Flow (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) took the 11-furlong Listed Prix de la Seine and is a half-sister to the G1 Gran Criterium runner-up Strobilus (GB) (Mark of Esteem {Ire}). The second dam Mount Elbrus (GB) (Barathea {Ire}) was also successful at listed level at 10 1/2 furlongs and is out of a half-sister to the G1 Prix de Diane heroine and outstanding producer Rafha (GB) (Kris {GB}). This is therefore the family of Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Kodiac (GB) et al, with Rafha's G3 Blandford S.-winning half-sister Chiang Mai (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) responsible for the G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine Chinese White (Ire) by Lava Flow's sire Dalakhani. It also features Saturday's Listed Ingabelle S. winner Blissful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), making it an Irish Champions weekend double for this remarkable dynasty. Lava Flow's yearling filly is by Sea the Stars (Ire), while she also has a filly foal by Teofilo (Ire).

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
GOFFS VINCENT O'BRIEN NATIONAL S.-G1, €400,000, Curragh, 9-15, 2yo, 7fT, 1:21.82, gd.
1–PINATUBO (IRE), 129, c, 2, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Lava Flow (Ire) (SW-Fr), by Dalakhani (Ire)
2nd Dam: Mount Elbrus (GB), by Barathea (Ire)
3rd Dam: El Jazirah (GB), by Kris (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. €228,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 5-5-0-0, $509,408. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Armory (Ire), 129, c, 2, Galileo (Ire)–After (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €80,000.
3–Arizona (Ire), 129, c, 2, No Nay Never">No Nay Never–Lady Ederle, by English Channel. (65,000gns Wlg '17 TATFOA; €260,000 Ylg '18 ARAUG). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Stephen Sullivan (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €40,000.
Margins: 9, NK, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.30, 3.30, 5.00.
Also Ran: Monoski, Iberia (Ire), Geometrical (Ire), Roman Turbo (Ire), Toronto (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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