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Racing Roundup Irish take back seat to French in Derby

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By John Manley

After a decade (the 1980s) in which the home forces were often at the mercy of raiders from across the sea, the 1990s saw a resurgence of nationalist mettle in the Budweiser Irish Derby. Recent winners St. Jovite, Zagreb and Desert King heralded an era of renewed vigor on the part of the yards based in Ireland. But while Sunday’s renewal at The Curragh was a triumph for the Coolmore-based stallion Sadler’s Wells, the winning hooves shouted, “au revoir.”

Dream Well came from France and solidified his position as the predominant 3-year-old in Europe with an easy 4-length score over City Honours, a British invader. The toast of last year’s Derby, trainer Aidan O’Brien has endured a rough go of it this spring, with his best prospects, King of Kings and Second Empire, coming undone in the Epsom Derby. Saratoga Springs was still standing and went postward, and O’Brien reached down deep to come up with Desert Fox, a colt of modest accomplishment. It is to O’Brien’s credit that Desert Fox got the show, although Saratoga Springs appears in need of a spa after crossing in sixth position.

Sunshine Street, one of the better fancied Irish interests after a competitive run at Epsom, duked it out early with Risk Material and found the heavy going more spongelike as the race lengthened. The Noel Meade-trained maiden finished ninth in the 10-horse field.

Dream Well rewarded those in the crowd who backed him down to 2-1 favoritism. He secured the trophy and winner’s share of the purse for his co-owners the Niarchos family and Jean-Louis Bouchard by getting the 12-furlongs in 2:44.30. He is trained by Pascal Bary.

Dream Well came into the Derby off a win in the French Derby four weeks prior. Jockey Cash Asmussen parked the colt well back in the pack during the early portion of the race, then roused him with less than four furlongs to the wire. Dream Well surged to the lead, with nary an argument from his rivals.

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City Honours was viewed as a proxy of sorts for High-Rise, his conqueror by a mere head at Epsom earlier in June. By virtue of his emphatic victory over City Honours at The Curragh, Dream Well’s standing vis-a-vis High-Rise grew profoundly.

The reputation of Sadler’s Wells, considered by many to be the premier stallion in the world, was enhanced by the result. He is the sire of both Dream Well and Desert Fox. For good measure, Sadler’s

Wells is the broodmare sire of City Honours, so it was a trifecta of sorts for the 17-year-old son of Northern Dancer. Sadler’s Wells, winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas at three, got his third Derby as a sire, Dream Well having been preceded by Old Vic and Salsabil. Dream Well, out of the Alleged mare Soul Dream, was dropped in France. City Honours was foaled in Kentucky, and Desert Fox is British-bred.

Hickey’s Nephew wins

As Fourstardave was to New York, Bucks Nephew has become to Chicago. The 8-year-old gelding continues to roll along, gutting out a victory by a nose after a drive that lasted the length of the stretch in the $103,400 Sportsmans’ Park Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Sportsmans’ on Sunday. The victory was the 15th in a 42-race career for Bucks Nephew. Hickey, a Cork native, owns and trains the winner. He is also the breeder and stands the sire, Bucksplasher, at his Irish Acres Farm in Ocala, Fla. Bucks Nephew pushed his career earnings to $804,758 with the triumph. He paid $5.80 to win.

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