O'Brien Smitten as Tenebrism Soars to Cheveley Park Win

For much of the season, Tenebrism  was missing. She also seemed to be absent for most of the Sept. 25 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) at Newmarket. When she finally appeared it became apparent she had been well worth the wait.

Since scoring on debut in late March, the exquisitely bred daughter by Caravaggio   out of Immortal Verse  had not been running. Over the same period, Ballydoyle's juvenile bluebloods had not been winning, certainly not with the regularity of a normal season. Going into this late September Saturday only one of Aidan O'Brien's 2-year-olds had landed a group prize.

This was the afternoon when all that changed.

Just five minutes before Luxembourg  became the Cazoo Derby (G1) favorite at the Curragh, Tenebrism surged to second spot behind Inspiral  in betting on the QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (G1). She did so by unleashing a stunning turn of foot to run down and gallop clear of Flotus , with the pair having raced closest to the stands' rail.

Tenebrism—who like Luxembourg runs in the colors of Westerberg, the racing operation of Georg von Opel—was last to leave the stalls but thereafter displayed a level of professionalism that, due to her inexperience, seemed to surprise even her trainer.

"I didn't think it was possible for her to do it, not because of ability, but because of the layoff," said O'Brien. "She had a setback after her first race and was off a long time. She was literally just ready to come racing. I had a knot in my stomach, wondering whether it was fair to run her, but there's only one Cheveley Park, and you don't often get horses with her speed and turn of foot. I just thought today was too early for her."

O'Brien was pleased to be wrong about a filly now quoted at 8-1 for the Guineas, before which she could be off to Del Mar for the Breeders' Cup, which would no doubt please another of her owners, Merribelle Stables.

"It's a rare thing to see a horse quicken like that—not many horses can do it," added O'Brien. "How far will she stay is the next thing? I had her in a seven-furlong race this weekend and usually if they get seven they might get a mile.

"If she was to go again this season it would be to America but the lads will decide whether or not they want to go to the Breeders' Cup. It would depend on how she comes out of this race but we would be delighted to go."

Flotus could also head to California, having finished three lengths clear of third home Sandrine .

"I was saying to Aidan that he did us with Ten Sovereigns  when Jash  was second in the Middle Park (G1) and now he's done the same," said joint-trainer Simon Crisford.

He can look forward to the future with Flotus and after a difficult summer with his babies, O'Brien can certainly do the same.

"In the middle of the season, they went through a lull. For six weeks we had a very quiet time but we couldn't find anything wrong," Crisford explained. "They were running alright but they weren't winning. We just had to wait, sit quiet and let them come. They're now all just starting to come again. The spark is coming back."

Nobody who saw Tenebrism on the Rowley Mile would disagree.

Tenebrism a Pathfinder for Caravaggio

Tenebrism is proving quite a pathfinder for Caravaggio. A first runner for the Coolmore sire at the beginning of the turf season back in late March, and immediately a winner, six months later she became his first group 1 scorer in the Cheveley Park on only her second start.

Given her name, which relates to a contrasting light and dark style of painting espoused by Caravaggio himself, it is no surprise to see plenty of artistic merit in Tenebrism's pedigree.

She is the fourth foal of Immortal Verse, Robert Collet's wonderful miling daughter of Pivotal  who won the Coronation Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot in 2011 followed by the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard-Jacques le Marois (G1).

Bred by Richard Strauss, former owner of Kilfrush Stud in County Limerick, Immortal Verse was sold for a European record 4.7 million guineas (US$8,071,193) to BBA Ireland's Adrian Nicoll on behalf of a Coolmore partnership at the 2013 Tattersalls December Mare Sale. Her dam, Side of Paradise, is a half sister to Strauss's towering sprinter and sire Last Tycoon.

Immortal Verse has been back and forth to America during her breeding career, producing foals for the Irish-American operation Meriebelle Stables as well as Coolmore affiliates Orpendale, Chelston, and Wynatt.

She has had two minor winners by War Front   in Battle For Glory and Grand Deed  and most recently visited Wootton Bassett .

Caravaggio, a son of Scat Daddy, started out with plenty of expectations from his first of three crops from Coolmore's Irish branch. He has since moved to Ashford Stud in Kentucky for the most recent season. Now the sire of 19 worldwide winners, he has four at black-type level including recent Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes (G2) scorer Agartha .