European Road upsets: The Foxes gets up in Royal Lodge, Crypto Force takes Beresford
Sep 24, 2022
The 2022-23 European Road to the Kentucky Derby got off to an unpredictable start on Saturday, as odds-on favorites were overturned in both points races. The Foxes came out on top of a tight finish in the Royal Lodge (G2) at Newmarket, where the 2-7 Flying Honours wound up third. In the Beresford (G2) at the Curragh, Crypto Force floored the 4-7 Adelaide River.
Royal Lodge (G2)
Owned by the Srivaddhanaprabha family’s King Power Racing, The Foxes is named in honor of their Premier League soccer team, the Leicester City Foxes. The Andrew Balding trainee was fourth on debut, but regarded highly enough to try the Chesham S. at Royal Ascot as a maiden. Although he found that was a bit too much for him in ninth, The Foxes improved to win at Glorious Goodwood on July 30, and continued his progress here.
The 17-2 third choice in a four-horse Royal Lodge, The Foxes was anchored at the rear by jockey David Probert. Front-running Dubai Mile got away with a steady early pace, stalked by Flying Honours and Greenland. When the race developed into a mad dash late, all four were in contention.
Greenland appeared to be the danger on the outside, until Dubai Mile ducked out. Once pushed wider by Dubai Mile, Greenland’s momentum stalled. The Foxes quickened on the rail, while Flying Honours briefly looked like lifting between horses.
The Foxes produced the best finish to prevail by a half-length from the gritty Dubai Mile. Flying Honours was another short head away in third, and Greenland was a close-up last of the quartet. The stewards conducted an inquiry into the incident involving Dubai Mile and Greenland, but allowed the result to stand.
By completing one mile in 1:43.66 on good ground, The Foxes earned 10 points on the European Road as well as a free ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). The second through fourth placings were worth four, three, and two points, respectively.
The Foxes is unlikely to have transatlantic ambitions, however, for the foreseeable future. Balding is reportedly inclined to look toward his 2023 plans, with the Epsom Derby (G1) his ideal aim.
By Churchill (a champion son of Galileo), The Foxes was a 440,000 guineas Tattersalls October yearling purchase. The bay colt is out of the outstanding broodmare Tanaghum, who is now responsible for a grand total of six stakes winners. The Foxes is a half-brother to Bangkok (a Group 2 victor for the same connections), Group 1 winner Matterhorn, Group 3 scorer Tactic, and Group 2-placed stakes vixen Yaazy, and he is a full brother to current stakes heroine Perotan.
Beresford (G2)
Crypto Force also has soccer connections, sporting the colors of well-known agent Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing. And in another point in common with The Foxes, he was likewise unplaced in the Chesham at Royal Ascot.
Joorabchian went to £900,000 to buy Crypto Force at the Goffs London Sale in June, following his smart debut win for Michael O’Callaghan at the Curragh. But he had to wait a bit for a return on investment. Just days after his expensive sale, Crypto Force was a bust when only seventh in the Chesham. O’Callaghan took his time with the promising colt, and he rebounded in style off the three-month holiday.
Crypto Force was sent off as the 15-2 fourth choice in a scratch-reduced field of five. Adelaide River was the prohibitive favorite to give Aidan O’Brien a 22nd Beresford win, and for a long way, he looked like accomplishing the task.
Going forward early, Adelaide River was prompted by Lakota Seven, but shrugged him off in the stretch. Then Crypto Force, who had been patiently ridden at the back by Colin Keane, advanced to challenge. Although Adelaide River knuckled down and tried to fend him off, Crypto Force was the stronger of the two on the yielding going. Drawing 2 1/4 lengths clear, Crypto Force clocked the testing mile in 1:44.30.
Adelaide River was himself four lengths clear of the maiden Young Ireland. Next came Roaring Gallagher and Lakota Seven. Pivotal Trigger and O’Brien’s other entrant, Continuous, were scratched on account of the ground. Since only five ran, all finishers picked up European Road points on the 10-4-3-2-1 scale.
Crypto Force has now toppled a Ballydoyle hotpot twice. In his maiden win at this track, he pulled a 14-1 upset of odds-on Auguste Rodin.
By the Dubawi stallion Time Test, Crypto Force was produced by Luna Mare, a Galileo mare from the superb family of globetrotting star Pilsudski, the 1996 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) winner; Japanese champion Fine Motion; and Youmzain, runner-up in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) for three straight years. His pedigree is brimming with promise for the future – on turf.
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