It was a 1-2-3 for Tally-Ho Stud graduates in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury on Saturday as the highly regarded Cotai Glory colt Powerful Glory lived up to his reputation to deny La Bellota and retain his unbeaten record.
Both Powerful Glory and La Bellota were sold through our breeze-up arm earlier this spring; Powerful Glory to Blandford Bloodstock and La Belotta to trainer John Ryan. While Powerful Glory is a new Group race winner for Cotai Glory, Tally-Ho-bred La Bellota is yet another high-class 2yo this season for Mehmas - he was also represented later on the Newbury card by impressive debut scorer Make You Smile. Meanwhile, the third home Billboard Star was sold by us to Highflyer Bloodstock and Eve Johnson Houghton at last year's Tattersalls October Sale.
Trained by Richard Fahey for Sheikh Rashid Dalmook al Maktoum, Powerful Glory made a fine impression when scoring on debut at Pontefract last month. He was faced with different conditions on Saturday but while he didn't appear to relish the soft ground, showed a fine attitude to repel the challenge of La Bellota and win a shade cosily.
"It's not easy out there but ability can get them through most ground, and I think he's got plenty of it," said jockey Oisin Orr. "Everything Powerful Glory has shown has been speed but he's big and scopey as well and there's no reason why he can't get further. At home there's nothing really we have to gallop with him, so I think he's pretty smart. He coule be top-class."
Richard Fahey added: "It's great to see him win, he's a horse I do like but I was very worried about the ground as he's such a good- moving horse. I had a chat with Sheikh Rashid but he said give it a go and I thought fair play, there was no pressure so he's been rewarded - -the trainer might have bottled it if left to his own devices. We think he's special, so we'll treat him as if he is."
Powerful Glory was bred by Con Marnane out of Wouldntitbelovely, a daughter of our stalwart Kodiac - also the damsire of this season's top runners Believing, Charyn and American Sonja among others. Indeed he is bred on the same Cotai Glory - Kodiac cross as G1 winner The Platinum Queen. The family goes back to Geht Schnell, a wonderful mare for Roger and Henry who foaled the high-class sprinter Ruby Rocket, herself the dam of Group 1 winner Maarek, and Listed scorer Alexander Alliance.
Comments