Tag Archive for: Savethelastdance

Savethelastdance steps out for scintillating Cheshire Oaks success

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Savethelastdance waltzed her way to clear Betfred Oaks favouritism with an emphatic display in the Weatherbys Digital Solutions Cheshire Oaks.

Ridden patiently at the rear of the cluster by Ryan Moore as Pam Sly’s Wintercrack led the field along, the daughter of Galileo still had plenty of work to do as Charlie Johnston’s Sirona went to tackle the front-running Wintercrack with just over three furlongs to run.

As Sirona moved to the head of the pack, Moore was making significant headway aboard the 8-11 favourite and when the Ballydoyle number one pressed the button on drawing alongside Sirona she soon left the opposition trailing in her wake to register a bloodless 22-length success in rain-softened ground.

It was Aidan O’Brien’s eighth success in the Listed event to become the most successful trainer in the Roodee feature, one ahead of Barry Hills whom he was previously locked on seven with.

Savethelastdance, meanwhile, is out of Daddys Lil Darling who famously bolted to post and was withdrawn from Enable’s Oaks in 2017, but it is hoped her daughter will fare better on the Surrey Downs with Betfair going 2-1 from 5-1 for the Epsom Classic on June 2, while Paddy Power go even shorter and make her the 13-8 favourite.

Riding his sixth winner of the race, Moore said: “I was very impressed, you can only be impressed by what she’s done there. 

“They kind of all gave up with half a mile to go and she was just getting going, but she gave me a very good feel – she’s probably given me as good a feel in this race as the ones I’ve ridden (in it before). 

“She stepped a little slow, but they went very hard early on and she just relaxed and followed them round.

“I thought I’d just make sure she knew what she had to do and she stretched all the way to the line and ran right through the line.”

O’Brien watched on from his Ballydoyle base – and was pleased with what he saw.

“We were delighted with her,” he said. “Obviously we were delighted with her in her maiden and we’ve been delighted with her since.

“Obviously it’s unusual for them to win that far, but she’s a very well-bred filly.

“She handled the ground well. I think it was soft enough the first day she won as well.

“I think she will (handle quicker ground). She’s a good moving filly, a big rangy filly and I think Ryan was very happy with her as well.

“That (Epsom) is the plan.”

O’Brien and Moore have Savethelastdance to look forward to at Chester

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Aidan O’Brien loves the Cheshire Oaks, having saddled the winner on no less than seven occasions in the last 14 renewals.

He sends Savethelastdance to the Roodee on Wednesday as the hot favourite for the Weatherbys Digital Solutions-sponsored race, which is a notable Classic trial.

The Galileo filly – who is shading ante-post favouritism for the Oaks itself – was a little green on her juvenile debut at Thurles in October, when finishing fifth to the more experienced Foniska, yet she clearly thrived over the winter and defeated better-fancied stablemate Boogie Woogie in comfortable fashion at Leopardstown on her reappearance in heavy ground a month ago.

Though she was a 20-1 shot that day, jockey Ryan Moore feels the form looks solid and she steps into Listed company with a ringing endorsement.

“I haven’t ridden her in a race yet, but I saw the back of her as she beat me on Boogie Woogie in some style over 10 furlongs at Leopardstown last month and the runner-up won well for me at Naas afterwards,” Moore told his Betfair blog.

“That victory was a massive step up from her debut effort at two, but there was no fluke about it and this beautifully-bred Galileo filly out of a Grade One winner in the States is clearly an exciting prospect.

“It was heavy at Leopardstown but the expected better ground here should be fine, though rain is due all week I see, so it may be testing by race time.”

The Charlie Johnston-trained Sirona won twice in four starts as a juvenile, including a Listed seven-and-a-half-furlong race at Cologne in September. Like Luckin Brew, William Buick’s mount takes a big step up from a mile to an extended mile and three furlongs for the first time, having disappointed in the same Pontefract race.

Owner Jayne McGivern said: “She has wintered really well. She is working well at home and is bred for distance and we were surprised at how well she had done as a two-year-old over a mile. We kind of were not expecting that.

“This will tell us a lot about her. She had a fantastic page when I bought her, she’s not overly big, but her confirmation’s great and she surprised us how good she was and she got black type. I think the Silver Tankard (Pontefract) was a race too far as she had a few races in quick succession.

“We had her entered in the Pretty Polly and that was the original plan, but we were worried about the ground. Mark and Charlie (Johnston) preferred the Chester race anyway.

“It is a bit of a tall order, we have thrown her in a bit at the deep end, but on the other hand, if she is good enough, she’ll be fine.

“She has entries in the Oaks and Ribblesdale, and is also in the German Oaks, and you might think about York.”

Co-trainers Freddie (left) and father Martyn Meade have high hopes for Ashtanga
Co-trainers Freddie (left) and father Martyn Meade have high hopes for Ashtanga (Mike Egerton/PA)

Connections of Ashtanga are hoping the extra distance will see her build on her two starts as a two-year-old, which included a maiden success at Nottingham over an extended mile.

Trained by Martyn and Freddie Meade, the daughter of Nathaniel will be ridden by Oisin Murphy on her three-year-old debut.

Freddie Meade said: “We are very pleased with her. She did nothing wrong last year. She was a real shell of a filly and all she has done is improve over the winter.

“Oisin has come and sat on her a couple of times and I think he shares the same enthusiasm for her this year. Hopefully the step up in trip will eke more improvement and hopefully she will have an exciting year.

“I think Chester will suit her. She is very balanced and she ran well at Salisbury first time out, which can find them out a little bit.

“I think we have the Oaks as the idea for her. Why not throw her in at the deep end and see how we get on.”

Cite d’Or is the most experienced in the field, having already had 10 runs, four of them since the turn of the year.

Having wintered in Dubai, where she was beaten over 15 lengths by subsequent 1000 Guineas winner Mawj, she returned to England and was a close-up third to colts Epictetus and Hadrianus in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom.

Trainer Harry Eustace said: “She really ran well last time and certainly got back on track from her last couple of runs last year, so that was nice to see.”

“We saw Mawj from a distance in Meydan and in hindsight, the race programme just wasn’t there and she clearly needs a trip.

“As soon as we got her back on soft ground over a trip, she came right back to form. She ran well at Epsom last year, so that helps.

“The thinking is she might like idiosyncratic tracks. It just seems to keep her more interested than others, and this is a furlong and a half further, which is a positive.

“We have put cheekpieces on for the first time. She didn’t really travel that well early on at Epsom, so Pierre just managed to keep tabs on her and then she ran well after. At Chester, it would be harder to do if she didn’t travel, so we are just trying to make Pierre’s life easier.

“We are quite exposed in comparison. Everyone likes the potential of something, whereas we are showing that we are a genuine 100-rated horse at a mile and a quarter and if the extra furlong and a half brings a little bit more out, then I think we can be very competitive in that race.

“We like the ground, and are hoping there will be a bit of rain.”

Savethelastdance shows off winning moves at Leopardstown

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Savethelastdance halved in price for the Oaks after a determined success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown.

The daughter of Galileo was sent off the outsider of three Aidan O’Brien contenders at 20-1 but had clearly learnt a bit from her sole start at two, as she was not long in getting to a share of the lead before striding on with seven furlongs to run.

Ryan Moore was never far away on Boogie Woogie but could not get past the Wayne Lordan-ridden leader, and neither could Dermot Weld’s even-money favourite Azazat, who looked to have every chance from two out but failed to the extra gear that might have been expected.

“She had a nice run last year and obviously she handled the ground well and she stays well,” said O’Brien of his charge, whose American Grade One-winning dam Daddys Lil Darling went to Enable’s Oaks only to be withdrawn after bolting to the start when Epsom was hit by a thunderstorm.

“We were delighted with the second filly, we thought she’d win. Ryan said he followed her but every time he went to her, she found more.

“You are never sure about that ground until you run in it.

“Dermot thought his filly was good and so did Joseph (O’Brien, trainer of fourth home Star Galaxy) so I’d say it was a decent race.

“She’ll go into a trial now and she’ll get further.”

The Prairie completed a notable double for Wayne Lordan
The Prairie completed a notable double for Wayne Lordan (Gary Carson/PA)

O’Brien and Lordan wasted no time in doubling up, as The Prairie (7-2) took the Aparto Student (C & G) Maiden.

Like Savethelastdance seen just once as a juvenile, the Galileo colt sat not far off the pace set by stablemate Duke Cador and while he needed every yard of the 10 furlongs to get on top he was a cosy enough winner at the line.

Paddy Power were impressed by both Ballydoyle winners, with Savethelastdance 33-1 for the Oaks and The Prairie 25-1 for the Derby.

“He had a nice run in Killarney last year,” said O’Brien.

“He’s bred to get a mile and a half. Wayne had a lovely position on him, Seamus (Heffernan) went an even gallop in front and he picked up and galloped home. Wayne liked him loads so that was good.

“He got a mile and a quarter very well there in heavy ground and he’s obviously going to get a mile and a half well. He’s a horse to look forward to.

“Seamus was delighted with his horse (Duke Cador) and said to maybe ride him a bit more patient the next day as when he got there he was waiting.

“Ryan’s horse (The Black Tiger) pulled a muscle in his hind quarters, maybe at the two marker. We’ll give him a bit of time off and hopefully he’ll be OK.”

O’Brien was narrowly denied a hat-trick on the day, with Farnborough and Moore losing out by a short head to the Jim Bolger-trained Fleetfoot in the Aparto Home Stretch (C & G) Maiden.

Fleetfoot and Rory Clearly
Fleetfoot and Rory Clearly (Gary Carson/PA)

The winner – who is jointly owned by Bolger’s wife Jackie and former jockey Freddy Tylicki – kept good company in three starts last year, including finishing third to subsequent Group One winner Al Riffa on his second outing.

“His form was good last year. He usually only got mugged by a very good horse and he’s a better three-year-old than he was a two-year-old,” said Bolger of the Rory Cleary-ridden 7-4 favourite.

“He handled it well and I’d say he’ll go on any ground. I’d say he’ll go all the way trip-wise.

“Hopefully he’ll be back here in September!”