Marvellous Grabs Classic Glory at Curragh
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Marvellous provided Aidan O'Brien a sixth victory in the Etihad Airways Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-I) May 25 at the Curragh, and joined the ever-growing list of classic winners sired by Galileo.
One race earlier on the card, Noble Mission delivered trainer Jane Cecil her first group I success in Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-I). The full brother to undefeated champion Frankel led soon after the start and handed Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) victor Magician a 1 1/4-length defeat.
A maiden winner from two starts entering the one-mile classic, Marvellous raced in last place at the halfway point, then uncoiled a lightning quick turn of foot in the final furlong. She wore down front-runner and favorite Lightning Thunder to lead 150 yards out before drawing clear.
Winning by three lengths at 10-1 odds with Ryan Moore aboard, Marvellous was timed in 1:45.52 on soft turf.
The filly broke her maiden in her debut Oct. 9 on soft turf at Navan, and entered the Irish Guineas off a sixth-place finish over heavy going in the Leopardstown One Thousand Guineas Trial (Ire-III) March 30.
Lightning Thunder, beaten just a neck by Miss France in the QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) at Newmarket three weeks ago, tracked in midfield behind pacesetter Wonderfully, a stablemate of Marvellous, then seized command a quarter-mile out. Unable to repel the rush of Marvellous, she held for second, 4 1/2 lengths to the good of Vote Often.
Marvellous is likely to follow-up her Guineas victory in the Epsom Oaks (Eng-I) June 6.
"She handled this sort of ground when she won her maiden at Navan last year," O'Brien told the Irish Times. "She then had the one run this year at Leopardstown and had a bit of a break after that as, like a lot of mine, she was coughing a bit.
"With Marvellous, the plan was to come here and then on to Epsom. You'd have to say she'd definitely get a mile and a quarter the way she ran to the line. She's a nice, compact filly and I don't think she'd have any problems handling Epsom."
Marvellous is the first classic winner this year for Coolmore's leading European sire Galileo. He sired three last year: Epsom Derby (Eng-I) winner Ruler Of The World, Prix du Jockey-Club (Fr-I, French Derby) winner Intello, and Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-I) victor Magician. He is the sire of many more in Europe.
Marvellous is out of multiple group-winning Storm Cat mare You'resothrilling, who was campaigned by Coolmore's Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor and is a full sister to group I winner Giant's Causeway , a three-time leading sire in the United States. Marvellous was bred in Ireland by the You'resothrilling Syndicate. Derrick Smith owns Marvellous with Magnier and Tabor.
Completing the order of finish in the Irish One Thousand Guineas was Avenue Gabriel in fourth, followed by Palace, Tested, Queen Of Power, Heart Focus, Wonderfully, Ballybacka Queen, and Al Thakhira.
Noble Mission provided a milestone win for Lady Cecil in the gold Cup.
Cecil took over Warren Place stables almost a year ago upon the death of her husband, legendary trainer Henry Cecil. He trained Frankel to 14 wins from as many starts—including nine consecutive group I wins and 10 overall at the top level. Frankel retired in 2012 at the world's top racehorse.
Sent off the co-even money favorite with Magician, Noble Mission covered 1 5/16 miles in 2:21.71 under James Doyle, taking his career record to 7-5-2 from 18 starts for owner-breeder Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms.
Noble Mission tallied a third consecutive win, coming in with victories in the Betfair 365 Gordon Richards Stakes April 25 at Sandown and the Betfair Price Rush Huxley Stakes May 8 at Chester, both group III events. He easily handled the step up to group I competition.
Magician bested 50-1 shot Euphrasia a neck for second in the five-horse field.
A son of Galileo, Noble Mission is out of the stakes-winning Danehill mare Kind, who also is the dam of group III winner and Central Kentucky sire Bullet Train and multiple stakes winner Joyeuse.