racing_news/

Brittain Doubles Up in Tattersalls Million Contests
17/09/10

Clive Brittain is going all out to clinch a substantial share of the lucrative rewards on offer in the two Tattersalls Million Series races staged at Newmarket on Friday 17th September and Saturday 18th September, with a pair of serious contenders in each contest.

Madawi and Shafgaan are set to contest Saturday’s £200,000 Tattersalls Millions Auction Trophy (2.55pm), while Masaya and Simayill are primed for Friday’s £100,000 Tattersalls Millions Fillies’ Auction Stakes (4.10pm).

Both races are for horses purchased at the 2009 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book One. Madawi and Shafgaan are among 16 declared for the seven-furlong £200,000 Tattersalls Millions Auction Trophy.

Madawi, a 150,000 guineas yearling, is making his second start, having chased home the useful Biondetti and Buthelezi when third over the distance in a July Course maiden on 6th August. The winner and runner-up have franked the form with subsequent victories.

The more experienced Shafgaan, a 17,000 guineas buy, was four and a half lengths seventh to the high-class Zebedee in the £100,000 Tattersalls Millions Auction Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket’s July Course on 28th August, and finished second over five furlongs at Chester the time before.

Brittain revealed today: “Madawi ran a very promising race here on his debut. He has been working well so we would expect him to make a nice show. The form of that race has worked out nicely.

“Shafgaan was probably unlucky at Chester two runs back. He had a good draw but half-missed the break, got bumped and lost his position, and did well to get back to get second. He’s certainly in there with a chance.

“The ground will be good to testing, so I think the advantage of having a low weight will be a big plus for Shafgaan. He ran well enough last time behind Zebedee but I’m certain he will appreciate the extra furlong this time.”

Zebedee, trained by Richard Hannon, is perhaps the speediest two-year-old in training this year. Beaten only once in seven starts, the 70,000 guineas Tattersalls Book One purchase has since added the Group Two Flying Childers Stakes to his list of victories.

Among the declared runners for Saturday’s exciting contest is the Aidan O’Brien-trained Curragh maiden winner Oracle.

Mark Johnston is set to run Group Two Vintage Stakes runner-up Stentorian and Malthouse, while Hannon will challenge with the smart Auld Burns and Kojak.

The Richard Fahey-trained Sir Reginald was third in the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes at York before finishing fifth last week behind stablemate Wootton Bassett at Doncaster, while Michael Jarvis is poised to run once-raced Sandown maiden winner Roman Eagle.

Also on Saturday’s excellent seven-race card is the £35,000 Investec Cesarewitch Trial Handicap (3.30pm) over the full course and distance of the totesport.com Cesarewitch. The race has 16 declarations, 12 of which also hold an entry in the totesport.com Cesarewitch on 16th October.

MASAYA AND SIMAYILL AMONG 11 IN FILLIES’ MILLIONS

Clive Brittain has another two arrows strung to his bow as he takes aim at the six-furlong £100,000 Tattersalls Millions Fillies’ Auction Stakes at Newmarket on Two-Year-Old Day, Friday, 17th September, with Masaya and Simayill.

The seven races on Friday’s entertaining card are exclusively juvenile contests.

Masaya, a 140,000 guineas buy from last year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book One, finished fourth to the highly-regarded Theyskens’ Theory in the Group Three Prestige Stakes over seven furlongs at Goodwood on 28th August.

A 70,000 guineas buy, the once-raced Simayill made a pleasing impression when finishing fifth in a Redcar maiden on Monday.

Brittain reported: “Masaya certainly ran a good race in the Group Three last time and showed that she is a really nice filly. She is in really good form at home, so we are expecting another very good run from her.

“Simayill had a very easy introduction on Monday and we expect a big improvement on that. She was green and learnt plenty from the experience. She took the race well and only lost two kilos on her return, so she didn’t take a lot out of herself.”

Also among the 11 declared runners is the James Given-trained Pizzarra, an unraced Shamardal half-sister to the trainer’s Group Two-winning juvenile Wunders Dream, who cost 35,000 guineas as a yearling.

Aidan O’Brien is set to run the 400,000 guineas yearling Queen Of Spain, while at the other end of the scale, Paul Cole has declared 5,000 guineas buy Child Bride. Richard Hannon has declared two smart fillies, Tale Untold and Kalahaag.

Warm Breeze easily won a Nottingham maiden for trainer Michael Jarvis, while Khor Sheed was third in the Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes at the July Course last month.

The Ian Wood-trained Button Moon was the head runner-up to Zebedee in the first race of the 2010/11 series of Tattersalls Millions races, the £100,000 Tattersalls Millions Auction Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket’s July Course on August 28, while the Andrew Balding-trained Queen O’The Desert was fifth.

The Tattersalls Millions is the most extensive thoroughbred sales race series ever staged in the Northern Hemisphere. Comprising eight races worth a massive £1,750,000 in prize money the races are exclusively for yearlings purchased at Book One of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Europe’s premier yearling sale.

The series is incredibly owner-friendly with total entry fees of only £4,000, covering eight races for both two-year-olds and three-year-olds over distances from six furlongs to 10 furlongs. For that initial investment, the prize money on offer is particularly lucrative ranging from a minimum of £100,000 up to £500,000 for Europe’s most valuable two year old race, the Tattersalls Millions 2YO Trophy at Newmarket on 2nd October.

The remaining seven 2010/11 Tattersalls Millions Races are as follows:

The Tattersalls Millions 2010/11

TWO-YEAR-OLD RACES

£100,000 Tattersalls Millions Fillies’ Auction Stakes, 6 Furlongs,
Newmarket Rowley Mile, fillies only, 17th September 2010

£200,000 Tattersalls Millions Auction Trophy, 7 Furlongs,
Newmarket Rowley Mile, colts, geldings and fillies, 18th September 2010

£500,000 Tattersalls Millions 2YO Trophy, 7 Furlongs,
Newmarket Rowley Mile, colts, geldings and fillies, 2nd October 2010

£300,000 Tattersalls Millions 2YO Fillies’ Trophy, 7 Furlongs,
Newmarket Rowley Mile, fillies only, 2nd October 2010

THREE-YEAR-OLD RACES

£250,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Trophy, colts, geldings and fillies,
10 Furlongs, Newmarket Rowley Mile, Craven Meeting 2011

£150,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Sprint, colts, geldings and fillies,
6 Furlongs, Newmarket Rowley Mile, Craven Meeting 2011

£150,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Cup, colts, geldings and fillies,
10 Furlongs, Newmarket July Course, end June 2011