Latest news with #Irish-bred
New Paper
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Paper
A driving finish to Deauville G1
DEAUVILLE Sponsored for the first time by the famous Aga Khan Studs, the 2025 renewal of the €1 million (S$1.5 million) Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois (1,600m) at Deauville on Aug 17 went right down to the wire, with Diego Velazquez hanging on by a nose to beat the fast-closing Notable Speech. Trained by Irish maestro Aidan O'Brien, the Frankel five-year-old - who had scored four Group wins previously, including his last-start win in the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes (1,400m) at Curragh on July 20 - has reached the pinnacle of his racing career with that first Group 1 victory in France's international feature race. Ridden by Christophe Soumillon, the Irish-bred broke from gate 10 and landed in front in the middle of the 1,600m straight. Japanese raider Go To First (Mirai Iwata) was behind him, while eight other runners were bunched up near the rails. The two gradually closed the gap with the rest on the rails approaching the 1,000m mark, with Soumillon settling Diego Velazquez in third on the outside. His stablemate The Lion In Winter (Ryan Moore) led on the rails, and the Roger Teal-trained Dancing Gemini (Rossa Ryan) sat in second on his outside. After The Lion In Winter faded away at the 300m, it was Diego Velazquez and Dancing Gemini who were locked in a fierce battle up front. With less than 100m to go, Diego Velazquez ($58) looked to have done enough. He finally got the better of Dancing Gemini in a thrilling duel that lasted more than 200m, but they had not reckoned with the extraordinary late burst of the English colt Notable Speech (William Buick). Prepared by Charlie Appleby, the Dubawi four-year-old was unlucky when he was trapped behind weakening rivals in the crucial stages, but he flew home like a rocket along the rails, only to be denied by a nose from the brave Diego Velazquez. Dancing Gemini did his best to hang on for third, another ¾ length away. It was O'Brien's second success in the Prix Jacques Le Marois, after he first won it with Excelebration - who was also ridden by Soumillon - in 2012. He also paid tribute to Diego Velazquez's well-known owner, Sam Sangster of Sam Sangster Bloodstock, after the win. The son of influential British owner and breeder Robert Sangster - one of the three founders of Coolmore Stud - Sangster Jr moved to Australia in 2007 to gain first-hand experience in different areas of the racing industry. He returned to the UK in 2010, and branched into racing syndication a year later before Sam Sangster Bloodstock was established in 2015. "This is a breeding operation that produces very good two and three-year-olds. And of course, he's (Diego Velazquez) a superb model, a willing horse," said O'Brien. "His last run was very good and he really came to himself last week. The Minstrel Stakes have often proved to be an excellent stepping stone - it's a sharp 1,400 metres, and you need to be sharp. "But he's very courageous, yes. And if you think about Ballydoyle's history, and the history of these colours with horses like The Minstrel, who could have imagined that we would have a horse running in Mr Sangster's silks? "It's just incredible, and I'm so delighted for Sam - truly thrilled." Soumillon, who was in his fourth Jacques Le Marois win following his successes aboard Whipper (2004), Makfi (2010) and Excelebration (2012), was taken aback when Notable Speech came swooping late, but was glad Diego Velazquez held on. "I was quite surprised to see William finish so strongly in the end and I nearly got beat," said the top jockey. "When I spoke to (Diego Velazquez's regular partner) Ryan Moore in the jockeys' room, he gave me quite a lot of confidence about him. "I was happy with the draw as he was able to do his own things. He doesn't absolutely need a cover. "I was going really easy until the last 600m and, when he came onto the bridle, he was really cruising. I waited for the right timing to let him go and he responded so well." FRANCE GALOP
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Huge cash lure for a date with Joburg stallions
Gustav Klimt and Morpheus are waiting beneath Paardekop. Joburg gets a bad rap. Some criticism is justified: the way the city is run is shameful. But some badmouthing isn't: the people are generally a lot more friendly and accommodating than residents of other, supposedly more genteel, places; the energy and work ethic is a level above; and many areas are quite beautiful. So, Joburgers can feel a bit ambivalent about their dump. You hear this come through when Nigel Riley talks about his Heversham thoroughbred stud, situated south of Joburg in Daleside Valley, overlooked by Paardekop. Riley, a former racehorse trainer now (amazingly) a prominent legal advocate, and his partner Willem Ackerman, have put huge resources into building up Heversham to the highest levels of the modern stud farm. They stand some of the best-pedigreed stallions in South Africa yet have 'difficulties geographically' in getting mares from other parts of the country to visit these mighty males. Joburg doesn't sound cool, perhaps. But perhaps Joburg money can talk loudly enough to drown out prejudice. Huge incentives Heversham has come up with a breeding incentive scheme unlike anything seen before in this country. It is offering cash rewards of nearly R90-million over two years to the connections of mares that are sent north for a liaison with one of two newly imported stallions. Waiting for the ladies beneath Paardekop are Gustav Klimt, an Irish-bred, Group-winning son of Galileo, and British-bred Morpheus, a half-brother of the mighty Frankel and brother of a Breeders' Cup winner. For the first Grade 1-winning offspring of early crops of both these sires, the breeding farms and the owners of the mothers get R10-million each, in cash, from Heversham, while buyers of the youngsters get R2-million each. Speaking on a recent Race Coast podcast, Riley opined that, with this temptation, 'Anyone with half a brain should be sending their best mare!' With the annual broodmare-covering season starting in a fortnight's time, breeders down-country might be looking at Joburg with new eyes. Heversham offers lesser incentives for visitors to their other stallions: under-valued Pomodoro, under-served Time Thief, former top racers Jackson and MK's Pride, and Aussie import Moofeed, a well-performed grandson of Danehill. Coming up in the future is The Equator, the Coolmore-bred son of Galileo who was an impressive winner at Turffontein recently. The old Transvaal was once thriving stud country. Could it regain some of that old-gold glister?
Elle
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
These Female Designers Are Creating the Clothes Women Actually Want
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. One of Maria McManus's customers—a 'fabulous L.A. woman,' as the Irish-bred, New York-based designer describes her—recently confided to her that she has two dry cleaners: one whom she entrusts with her Maria McManus clothes, and one for the rest of her wardrobe. 'I'm sure she owns incredible brands,' McManus says. 'So I was deeply honored that I was part of the chosen few.' That kind of loyalty can't be bought, no matter how many marketing dollars you throw at it. McManus is one of a handful of designers who might not have their names on billboards, but who have painstakingly built a following, becoming a hit with discerning shoppers who prefer realism to runway theatrics. Many of these brands are led, or co-led, by women: Elin Kling of Toteme, Camille Perry and Holly Wright of Tove, Marieke Meulendijks of Róhe, and Frances Howie of Fforme, for example. They lean minimalist, but with enough design innovation to create desirable friction. And they're modular in nature: Rather than overhauling their aesthetic every season, they keep gradual wardrobe-building in mind, offering new pieces that complement their existing staples. For Howie, what she sees on the catwalk doesn't always reflect the reality of contemporary women's lives. 'If you think about how much change has happened in the last 80 years, the way that women work and juggle a million things, I think we demand something more from our wardrobes,' she says. Howie took over at the brand last July and debuted with a fall 2025 collection that actually achieved the editorial trope of 'going from day to night.' For pre-spring 2026, she introduced looks like a white two-piece set in frayed silk. 'You could pick up your child from school and look rather fabulous, or you could go to a wedding' in it, she says. Another multitasking hero piece, a red trench with a pleated back detail, goes through a Cinderella-style transformation if you remove its bolero, turning it into a sleeveless dress. Howie remains mindful not just of what her designs look like, but what they feel like, something Alber Elbaz inculcated in her when she worked for him at Lanvin. She recalls that Elbaz held model fittings in front of a wall of mirrors to see how a dress would look and move in real life. 'He didn't really fit the dress. He fitted her in the dress. There's a difference.' Now her team prioritizes comfort: 'I don't want to look amazing, and actually be suffering. That's not luxurious to me.' As Net-a-Porter's fashion director, Kay Barron applies her discerning eye to thousands of new offerings. Like Howie, she has noticed a disconnect when it comes to some collections. 'I see their runway shows and the vision that they've created, and I do think, 'God, I'd love to have that life. How fabulous does that look?'' she admits. But when it comes to lines like Toteme, Fforme, Tove, Maria McManus, and St. Agni, all of which the e-retailer has seen great success with, she appreciates that they're rooted in something more solid. 'Not the fantasy lives we want to have, but the reality, whether that's work and motherhood and everything else that's going on in someone's life. You still want to look and feel your best.' She also appreciates that they're not 'outrageously expensive' relative to the rest of the luxury market. For Lara Fells, who designs St. Agni with a small team, her own day-to-day life in the Australian beachside hamlet of Byron Bay helps inform her work. When she cofounded the brand with her husband over a decade ago, 'everything was very overembellished. It was the height of the boho era.' Fells had a counterproposal: pared-back, often neutral-hued staple pieces like structured blazers and trousers, things that you could wear to the office and to sip a cocktail afterward. Fells refreshingly admits to being inspired by her own taste. 'I feel like it takes a really talented designer to design something that she doesn't want to wear,' she says. 'I can't do that. That's an extra-special skill.' For many of these designers, much of their success comes down to the throwback power of word of mouth. In the first five years of her business, Fells says, 'we did no paid marketing at all. Didn't spend a dollar on ads, nothing,' instead preferring to build a following organically. Another old-school method has come in handy for McManus, who doesn't have a brick-and-mortar store: 'We do a lot of private shopping events at people's homes. Customers will reach out to us and be like, 'My girlfriends love your stuff. Can we do an event?'' Tapping into that inner circle has opened them up to an often-overlooked client, the woman who loves fashion and wants to invest in it, but doesn't care to follow the herd. As Howie puts it: 'My girlfriends who are intelligent, well-read, cultured, love art—they want to feel sexy. They want to feel sensual. They want to feel that in a powerful way.' This story appears in the September 2025 issue of ELLE. GET THE LATEST ISSUE OF ELLE
New Paper
17-07-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Robusto ready to mount solid Winter Challenge
Falling mercury levels may keep Sydneysiders at home these days, but its racegoers would have more than the crisp and bracing air to lure them out of their couches to Rosehill Gardens on July 19. The hot racing action at the city track will feature its last "black type" contest of its racing calendar, the Listed Winter Challenge (1,500m) which has drawn a smallish but competitive field of 10 vying for the thicker end of the A$200,000 (S$168,000) stakes up for grabs. For those who claim cold weather can numb the brain cells, they will have no excuse this time, with the task of spotting a winner made easier by the "Winter" form line. Seven of the Winter Challenge contenders came out of the Listed Winter Stakes (1,400m) at the same course a fortnight ago on July 5. On face value, surprise but comfortable winner Estadio Mestalla will not fly under the radar this time. But without taking anything away from in-form trainer Joseph Pride's Irish-bred and a gutsy ride by young gun Dylan Gibbons, the circumstances of the race served the 60-1 long shot the victory on a platter. Other than go-forward customer Whinchat spearing over from his wide alley to camp on his haunches during the middle stages, Estadio Mestalla was untroubled and got away with some cheap sectionals. Besides, the ease of the cheeky win has not come without a price. The Galileo Gold six-year-old is the only one of the Winter Stakes sevens to cop a hefty penalty from the Sydney handicapper - from 54.5kg to 57.5kg. The weight surcharge is not the only reason why he may not go back-to-back on Saturday. Among the beaten brigade, tellingly, the next threesome past the line, Robusto, his better-fancied stablemate that day, Accredited, and Thunderlips will be among those favoured to turn the tables on him, especially the Bjorn Baker-trained Robusto. A 12-1 chance that day, he was a tragedy beaten. As jockey Joshua Parr got on his bike at the 300m, the doors closed on the A$2 million Group 2 The Ingham (1,600m) winner twice at a crucial stage, once by the laying-in Accredited and the second time when tightened for room by Welwal. By the time, the Churchill five-year-old saw daylight, the bird had already flown, but he still took stacks of ground off the winner to cut the margin back to 1½ lengths. While he shoulders the top weight of 60kg again, the 3kg swing on Estadio Mestalla as well as the extra 100m should help him exact revenge towards an eighth success. Among the three non-Winter Stakes runners who could upset the applecart, Fortunate Kiss stands out. The Adelaide challenger is at her first Sydney raid, but is unlikely to be all at sea as she did go around the clockwise way in Brisbane at her last three starts. At the last one, she even sprang a 25-1 shock in the Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1,400m) at the Sunshine Coast on July 5 for Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans and a winning pick-up ride for underrated jockey Luke Tarrant. That day, the ride on the Divine Prophet mare was meant to go to Ronnie Stewart, but the three-time Singapore Gold Cup-winning jockey was ruled out through an injury picked up earlier in the day. Kennewell has this time engaged a safe pair of hands around Rosehill for his 9-1 chance in local veteran hoop Jay Ford, who himself would be keen to snap a run of outs since returning from a fall scare at a midweek Canterbury meeting on July 9. A head knock did call for some precautionary scans, which luckily came out clear. Ford, who is better known to Singapore racegoers as the winning jockey aboard Australia's rags-to-riches champion Takeover Target in the 2008 Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint (1,200m) at Kranji, returned to the saddle the week after but has yet to get back on the scoresheet in three meetings. manyan@
New Paper
08-07-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Keep highly rated trio in Metro A on the radar
It could pay to put your attention on three highly rated gallopers, Circuit Mission, Platinum Emperor and Cheval Blanc, at the Sungai Besi meeting on July 12. They are "ranked" the top three - in order of their ratings - in the handicaps of the main race coming up at the Selangor Turf Club. Three days from now, we could see them fighting out the finish in that Metro A sprint (1,400m). Circuit Mission is now sitting on 99 points. Platinum Emperor is at 98 while Cheval Blanc is - on 93 rating points - not too far behind. But being rated in the 90s is not the only thing they have in common. On the morning of July 8, all three were out on the training track and they have impressed all who were taking in the action. Taking it from the top, we have Circuit Mission running the 600m in a fluent 38.9sec. Platinum Emperor went a tick faster, clocking 38.3sec while Cheval Blanc stopped the clock at 38.7sec. Trained by Frank Maynard, Circuit Mission used to be with Lee Freedman, Cliff Brown and then James Peters at Kranji. Between Singapore and Malaysia, he has won eight races - on the Kranji, Penang and Kuala Lumpur tracks. Even before the son of High Chaparral kick-started his career in Asia, he won twice in the UK when trained by Hugo Palmer. Now, at 10, Circuit Mission showed he can still bring theatre to the game and is not about ready to be put out to pasture. The Irish-bred's last victory might have come almost a year ago in the Group 1 Penang Sprint Trophy (1,400m) on July 28, 2024, and his subsequent three runs were nothing to shout about, but he showed improvement at his last start. Ridden by Akmazani Mazuki in the Supreme A event (1,200m) on June 29, Circuit Mission would not have threatened the top three in any way, but he still made ground in the final 100m to finish fifth. Being the bread-and-butter galloper that he is, he will give his best on July 12. And, on the strength of his most recent training gallop, he could puncture a few egos. As for Platinum Emperor, he comes into the picture after a break of more than 100 days and had an easy spin under jockey Marc Lerner in a barrier trial on June 17. The Ricky Choi-trained galloper was second-up at his last run in the Group 1 Tunku Gold Cup (1,200m) on March 16. That day, under Nuqman Rozi, the Sweynesse five-year-old turned in a decent show, running third behind winner Noah Khan and runner-up, Antipodean. That came a month after Platinum Emperor had smacked his rivals in the Wilayah Silver Bowl Trophy (1,200m) on Feb 2 and won at his first race in Malaysia. Choi has been patient with the eight-time winner from Macau, who is likely to garner interest third-up. Then, from the training track, there was Cheval Blanc. The second of Maynard's pair entered for the sprint on July 12, Cheval Blanc is - like Circuit Mission - a 10-year-old Irish-bred. The son of Red Jazz has faced the starter five times this season. The last occasion was on June 29 and, in a muddling sort of race, Cheval Blanc took fourth. After the run in the Supreme A contest (1,200m), jockey Wong Kam Chong explained to the stewards that he was inconvenienced when his reins were briefly entangled over the neck of Cheval Blanc. There were no such problems during his romp under the morning sun and Maynard would have been pleased with the work put in by his old stager. Outside of that Metro A race, there was good work from Valerie Pegasus. Down to contest the Class 5A event over the short and sharp 1,020m, the five-year-old galloper tossed in a winning workout when running the 600m in 40sec. It was a solid show and very worthy of a line or two in that black book of "horses to follow". Prepared by Nick Selvan, whose last winner was Latin Legend in the Supreme B (1,600m) race on July 6, Valerie Pegasus has been winless in his next five starts after March 1, when he led from barrier to box in the Class 5A race (1,150m) at Sungai Besi. At his last start on June 15, Valerie Pegasus was outpaced in a Class 5A race (1,275m) before finishing seventh to Lightning Gal. The drop in distance could be what he is looking for and, on the back of that honest workout, his Malaysian handler could be looking at a good showing from this son of Shamexpress. brian@
