BLACKBEARD TEACHES RIVALS A LESSON AT CHANTILLY
By Sean Cronin
Nailed in the dying strides of last month=s G2 Railway S. at The Curragh, Aidan O'Brien trainee Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never-- Muirin {Ire}, by Born To Sea {Ire}) bounced back in style to lead home a Ballydoyle exacta in Sunday's G2 Darley Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly. In so doing, he provided trainer O=Brien with a first winner of the six-furlong contest this century and, adding to Rossini=s win in 1999, a second overall. The February-foaled bay had earlier backed up an Apr. 28 debut triumph at Dundalk with wins at the Curragh in the May 2 Listed First Flier S. and May 21 G3 Marble Hill S. and preceded his Railway second with a fourth in the June 14 G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot. Blackbeard shared pacemaking duties on the front end from the outset. Gaining outright control passing the quarter-mile pole, the 6-5 favourite was not for catching thereafter and kept on strongly under mild urging inside the final furlong to easily outpoint stablemate The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) by three lengths for a career high. Listed Prix La Fleche runner-up Vicious Harry (Fr) (Harry Angel {Fr}) fared best of the remainder and was a further three lengths back in third.
LILY POND TO THE FORE AT THE CURRAGH
By Tom Frary
There was a competitive line-up for The Curragh's G2 Kilboy Estate S. on Sunday and it was Ballydoyle's Lily Pond (Ire)(Galileo {Ire}) who proved toughest as the 3-year-olds filled out the first three places in the nine-furlong feature. Building a smart portfolio since her winning debut at Dundalk Apr. 12, the bay was runner-up in the G3 Blue Wind S. at a mile and a quarter at Naas May 7 and third in the 12-furlong G3 Munster Oaks at Cork June 8 before finding the 14-furlong test of Leopardstown's G3 Stanerra S. beyond her when sixth 10 days prior to this breakthrough. Settled behind stablemate Galleria Borghese (Ire) (Caravaggio) by Ryan Moore, the 8-1 shot was threatened by the even-money favourite Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) approaching two out and while for a few yards she looked likely to go under the Galileo factor kicked in a furlong from home and she was ultimately a reasonably comfortable half- length winner from Seisai (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), with One For Bobby (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) 3/4 of a length back in third.
BC MILE HERO ORDER OF AUSTRALIA DOUBLES MINSTREL TALLY
By Sean Cronin
Winless in five starts since annexing last year's edition of the Curragh's G2 Romanised Minstrel S., 2020's GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}--Senta's Dream {GB}, by Danehill) repeated the dose with a 3 1/2-length triumph in Sunday's latest renewal of the seven-furlong contest at the Co. Kildare venue. The 5-year-old entire, who also hit the board in last term's G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois and G1 Prix du Moulin, arrived for this defence coming back off a third in last month's G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot and broke smartly to lead from flagfall. In command until bustled along when tackled by Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) approaching the quarter-mile marker, the 4-5 favourite soon had that rival's measure and was ridden clear in the closing stages to win by a comfortable 3 1/2 lengths. Dr Kempf (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) kept on well to finish a half length adrift in third.
TARIYANA DOMINATES THE CHLOE
By Tom Frary
Far from disgraced when eighth from the widest draw in the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly June 19, The Aga Khan's progressive Tariyana (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) returned to that venue on Sunday on a much more level playing field to enhance her portfolio with a clear-cut success in the nine-furlong G3 Prix Chloe. Runner-up to the subsequent G2 Prix de Malleret scorer Raclette (GB) (Frankel {GB}) on her previous start in ParisLongchamp's Listed Prix Melisande over a mile and a quarter June 12, the characteristically enthusiastic Francis-Henri Graffard-trained homebred was sent forward from the break in customary fashion by Stephane Pasquier. Whereas she was merely keeping Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) company on the front end in the 10 1/2 furlong Classic, this time the 17-10 favourite was able to build a generous advantage before the home straight. At that point, the contest was already decided and the chestnut who was racing without a hood for the first time was not fully extended to cap a week to remember for her rider as she registered a comfortable 1 1/2-length verdict over Sippinsoda (Fr) (War Front).
