The romance of a cheap purchase developing into a Classic winner is a thing of the distant past. It is an anachronism, straight out of the pages of Dick Francis. Do you really think so?
The romance of a cheap purchase developing into a Classic winner is a thing of the distant past. It is an anachronism, straight out of the pages of Dick Francis. Do you really think so?
Well, any credence attached to that notion was well and truly knocked on the head when Covert Love, a filly by Azamour, purchased for 26,000 guineas at the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale in 2013, landed Saturday's Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh.
The filly had improved rapidly, and trainer Hugo Palmer did not have to work too hard to persuade members of the Fomo Syndicate ('Fear Of Missing Out') to pay the 40,000 Euros supplementary entry fee to run in the Oaks.
Ridden an enterprising race by Pat Smullen, Covert Love proved much too strong for the talented Jack Naylor, with Royal Ascot winner Curvy back in third. This was Palmer's first Group One winner and first Classic triumph.
On breeding, Covert Love has plenty going for her, being a half-sister to the Clive Brittain-trained Stealth Missile and from the family of the Dermot Weld-trained Grey Swallow, an Irish Derby winner. She traces back to one of the renowned Moyglare Stud Farm families.
Palmer admits that the rate of Covert Love's improvement has slightly caught him out. The filly was a 92-rated handicapper when the entries deadline for some of the major targets closed. She is now one of the best of her sex and age group in Europe.
Now the trainer is seriously considering another supplementary, this time to the Yorkshire Oaks, on Knavesmire, at the Ebor Meeting next month. If that produces another victory, the Arc in October is also a possibility.
With European racing gearing up for Ascot, Glorious Goodwood, Deauville and York in the coming weeks, one announcement at the weekend worth reflection and comment is the pending retirement of triple champion jockey Richard Hughes.
Over the years, no jockey has worked harder at maintaining his weight. Nevertheless, his appetite for success has been undiminished, and he has remained a fine exponent of the art of race-riding. He is now to retire after Goodwood next month to pursue his new career as a trainer.
James McDonald, Godolphin's retained rider in Australia, has expressed his determination to land a second jockeys' title in Sydney following a winning double at Rosehill at the weekend that gave him a slender lead in the championship. The season ends on July 31.
McDonald is currently locked in a three-way battle for the crown with Blake Shinn and Hugh Bowman, and the title tussle promises to go right to the wire.
Only two and a half wins separate the three jockeys, who are all riding in tremendous form. In Sydney, a dead-heat counts as half a win.
With his double at Rosehill, McDonald has moved on to 90 1/2 winners for the season, one ahead of Blake Shinn, who responded with one winner on the day. Bowman, without a winner on Saturday, is sitting on 88, and still within striking distance.
McDonald had virtually written off his chances of a successful title defence after spending seven weeks riding in Britain for Godolphin. He left on his trip abroad well ahead but expected that lead to have been whittled down.
But, as it turned out, he found himself still in title contention and has been going all-out to win a jockeys' title battle that has provided huge interest at a time of the sporting year when racing's profile is usually low.
"It's good to be back riding winners," McDonald said. "I wasn't planning to come back (from Britain for the championship chase).
"I didn't think I could win the premiership, but I'll give it a go now," he said.
