By Tom Frary
Successful in the Listed European Free H. over this trip on the Rowley Mile course here in April 2015, Home of the Brave captured The Curragh's G3 Minstrel S. three months later only to be stripped of that prize due to a prohibited substance. Beginning his four-year-old campaign with a win in the Listed King Richard III S. at Leicester, the chestnut was bought by Godolphin and rewarded the move with a success in the G3 John of Gaunt S. at Haydock. Second in the G2 Lennox S. at Goodwood in July and in the G2 Hungerford S. at Newbury in August, he was 11th in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint before returning to beat the subsequent G2 Duke of York S. winner and G1 Diamond Jubilee S. runner-up Tasleet (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in the latest edition of the King Richard III Apr. 29. Leading the duo Jungle Cat and Breton Rock racing stand's side but behind the overall leader Ibn Malik (Ire) (Raven's Pass), he got to the front approaching the quarter pole and despite the harrying effort of fellow Godolphin colour-bearer Jungle Cat held on to register a fifth black-type success all at this trip.
Hugo Palmer said, “You can never expect anything, but it was as we hoped for. My heart sank when I saw the 70 millimetres of rain fall midweek, but it is amazing what a racecourse Newmarket is as it took the rain that well. He has been a pretty consistent horse all his life, especially in the early part of the season. He trains on his own and never works with another horse. James Doyle has ridden him almost every time and he understands him. I think we will give him a short break and head for the Lennox [at Goodwood Aug. 1], as that is the obvious race.”
Home of the Brave's dam is a half-sister to another who enjoyed his best days at this distance in Suggestive (GB) (Reprimand {GB}), who also captured this race and was runner-up in the G2 Lennox S. Also a half to another by Reprimand in the G3 Prix de Conde winner Rashbag (GB), she is connected to the G3 Princess Elizabeth S. scorer Bay Street (GB) (Grundy {Ire}), dam of the G3 Prix de Flore-winning highweight Bex (Explodent) and five other black-type performers. Bex was also responsible for the same number of black-type runners headed by the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris-winning sire Crimson Quest (Ire) and the listed-placed Bathilde (Ire) (Generous {Ire}), who herself is the dam of the G1 Dubai Duty Free hero Al Shemali (GB) (Medicean {GB}) and G2 Henry II S. scorer Tungsten Strike (Smart Strike). Also from the family of the South African champion Bad Girl Runs (SAf) (Western Winter) and the Singapore Derby winner and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic third Falstaff (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), Blissful Beat has a yearling filly by Olympic Glory (Ire).
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
BETWAY CRITERION S.-G3, £60,000, NEW, 7-1, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:23.13, g/s.
1–HOME OF THE BRAVE (IRE), 129, h, 5, by Starspangledbanner (Aus)">Starspangledbanner (Aus)
1st Dam: Blissful Beat (GB), by Beat Hollow (GB)
2nd Dam: Pleasuring (GB), by Good Times (Ity)
3rd Dam: Gliding, by Tudor Melody
(€80,000 Ylg '13 ARAUG). O-Godolphin; B-Earl Ecurie Du Grand Chene (IRE); T-H. Palmer; J-James Doyle. £34,026. Lifetime Record: 15-6-3-1, $365,718. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Jungle Cat (Ire), 129, h, 5, Iffraaj (GB)–Mike's Wildcat, by Forest Wildcat. O-Godolphin; B-Darley (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £12,900.
3–Breton Rock (Ire), 129, g, 7, Bahamian Bounty (GB)–Anna's Rock (Ire), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). (£20,000 Ylg '11 DNPRM). O-Mr John Cook; B-George Kent (IRE); T-David Simcock. £6,456.
Margins: 3/4, 2 3/4, 2. Odds: 1.60, 8.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Ibn Malik (Ire), Winning Ways (Ire), Ifwecan (GB), Thikriyaat (Ire), Richard Pankhurst (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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