Sea the Stars adds to growing legacy in Juddmonte
International
There were certainly moments of anxiety for fans of European superstar SEA
THE STARS (Cape Cross [Ire]) in the final quarter-mile of Tuesday’s
£600,000 Juddmonte International (Eng-G1) at
York, but just as he previously showed in the Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1),
Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) and Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) earlier this year, his tenacity and
unwillingness to lose proved too formidable for his challengers to overcome.
Christopher Tsui’s homebred colt added to his growing legacy with a thrilling
run-down of his only viable rival, Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer), to prevail
by a length in the highlight of the opening program of the four-day Ebor meet.
The Juddmonte International evolved into a virtual match race between Sea the
Stars and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Mastercraftsman following the withdrawal of
Tartan Bearer (Spectrum) due to lameness. The only other horses entered were two
O’Brien-trained pacemakers, Georgebernardshaw (Danehill Dancer) and Set Sail
(Danehill Dancer), who dutifully went about their business through the opening
six furlongs as Mastercraftsman rated slightly behind along the rail in third
with Sea the Stars trailing that one by a couple lengths in fourth. The
positions remained unchanged until inside the half-mile marker when Set Sail
reached the throatlatch of Georgebernardshaw, but both were soon overtaken by
Mastercraftsman, who split the two to seize control while Sea the Stars followed
right on that one’s heels and also dispensed with the fading rabbits.
The stretch battle all had expected was a tad slow to develop as
Mastercraftsman responded well to Johnny Murtagh’s urgings, opening up by just
over a length with under two furlongs remaining. Mick Kinane, aboard Sea the
Stars, shook up the dual classic winner and maintained a vigorous hand ride
until just inside the furlong pole when he drew the stick. With a few taps on
his left side, Sea the Stars finally responded and wore down the four-time Group
1 winner to win going away. The two pacemakers were distanced from the leading
pair, with Set Sail crossing the wire 3 1/2 lengths to the good of
Georgebernardshaw.
The 1-4 favorite, Sea the Stars completed 10 furlongs and 88 yards over the
good-to-firm ground in 2:05.29, the fastest renewal of the Juddmonte
International, which dates to 1972, ever contested at York.
“Two furlongs out I wondered how far he (Sea the Stars) would win as he was
coasting along, but he had to struggle for a while as the other horse dug deep
and found a bit,” trainer John Oxx told PA Sport. “He won handily enough in the
end and Mick only had to give him a couple of smacks. Mick always says to me
that he will never win by more than a length and will never win spectacularly at
all.
“So long as the ground is quick, the Irish Champion S. ([Ire-G1] at
Leopardstown on September 5), is his next race and that will be his only race in
Ireland this year.”
Kinane, as he had following earlier scores, had nothing but praise for the
colt considered the top ranked Thoroughbred in the world.
“The last couple of years I have been searching for a good horse, and then
suddenly a great one comes along in the twilight of my life, and it is a
privilege,” said Kinane, who recently turned 50. “He is the best horse I have
ridden and I have ridden some great ones.”
Mastercraftsman, the 3-1 second choice, pleased O’Brien in his first attempt
beyond a mile.
“This fellow loves to get into a battle, but Mick rode a brilliant race on
Sea the Stars,” he said. “It was a great race and the winner is a great horse.
“He’s not short on speed, our fellow, but he can run either over a mile or a
mile and a quarter. I’m not sure where he will go now — all options are open to
him.”
The Irish-bred Sea the Stars has now won six straight since finishing fourth
in his debut at the Curragh last July. A handy victor at Leopardstown in his
second start, he concluded his juvenile campaign with a score in the Beresford
S. (Ire-G2). Sea the Stars reappeared in the Guineas at Newmarket, where he
tracked the pace and powered up the hill to win impressively. In the Derby, Sea
the Stars got first run over a plethora of Ballydoyle entrants and held on for
the 1 3/4-length victory. Last time, Sea the Stars prevailed over subsequent
Sussex S. (Eng-G1) winner Rip van Winkle (Galileo [Ire]) and eventual King
George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. (Eng-G1) hero Conduit (Ire) (Dalakhani) in the
Eclipse S. at Sandown. His bankroll now stands at £1,646,082.
Sea the Stars’ dam, French highweight Urban Sea, captured the 1993 Prix de
l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) as well as such notable events as the Prix d’Harcourt
(Fr-G2), Prix Gontaut Biron (Fr-G3) and Prix Exbury (Fr-G3). She has been even
more outstanding as a broodmare, with all eight of her runners earning black
type. Her first foal, Urban Ocean (Bering), was an Irish highweight and Group 3
winner. Next came English stakes queen Melikah (Ire) (Lammtarra), runner-up in
the Irish Oaks (Ire-G1) and third in the Oaks (Eng-G1) at Epsom. Galileo reigned
as Europe’s champion three-year-old of 2001 after garnering the Derby, Irish
Derby (Ire-G1) and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Galileo’s younger brother, Black Sam Bellamy (Sadler’s Wells), earned Italian
highweight status by virtue of his score in the 2002 Gran Premio del Jockey Club
(Ity-G1), and in 2003 he added the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-G1) to his resume.
Galileo and Black Sam Bellamy’s sister, All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler’s
Wells), was an English Group 3 heroine and runner-up in the 2004 Oaks at Epsom.
Urban Sea’s next foal, eight-time stakes victress My Typhoon (Ire) (Giant’s
Causeway), raced exclusively in the United States, with her signature victory
coming in the 2007 Diana S. (G1) at Saratoga. That same season, her maiden
half-sister Cherry Hinton (Green Desert) placed in an Irish Group 3 affair.
Urban Sea died in early March from complications after foaling an Invincible
Spirit colt.
Urban Sea is herself a half-sister to King’s Best (Kingmambo), hero of the
Two Thousand Guineas in 2000, as well as French Group 3 queen Allez Les Trois (Riverman),
the dam of Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) (Fr-G1) winner Anabaa Blue (Anabaa).
This is also the family of Tamayuz (Nayef), who won last year’s Prix Jacques le
Marois (Fr-G1) and Prix Jean Prat (Fr-G1).