Monday 7 August 2023
Both SIYOUNI and SEA THE STARS enjoyed Group winners at last week’s Glorious Goodwood.
Paddington was the star on Wednesday, winning the Sussex Stakes to land a fourth consecutive Group 1 victory. The 2023 exploits of the SIYOUNI colt have led to comparisons with the ‘Iron Horse’ Giant’s Causeway, and Paddington is one better at this point in their three-year-old careers, having won the Irish 2000 Guineas in addition to the St James’s Palace, Eclipse and Sussex Stakes.
“Paddington is much quicker than the Giant was,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien. “He's tactically quick but he can quicken as well. The Giant was tactically quick and was dour after that. This horse can really turn it on when you have to, on all types of ground. He is unique.
“You always worry about having that extra weight on him in that ground, as it makes it more of a test of endurance rather than speed and speed is his big thing. The tougher the race, the better he is getting and he wasn’t stressed after the race here. Everything is open to him – Tom [Magnier] has mentioned the option of going to Australia, so we’ll maybe look at York with him next time and see then. He could do anything – he’s very special, we think. We made the Arc entry also, because Ryan says there doesn't seem to be any end to his stamina.”
The following day, SEA THE STARS provided a Group 3 winner for HM The King and HM The Queen when Royal Studs homebred Desert Hero won the Gordon Stakes. The colt, whose dam is by Dubawi, now looks a leading contender for next month’s St Leger at Doncaster.
The SEA THE STARS-Dubawi cross was reversed in the following race, when Al Husn was victorious in the Nassau Stakes for owner/breeders Shadwell, in the process becoming the third Group 1 winner for SEA THE STARS as a broodmare sire.
Meanwhile on Saturday at Newmarket, Sweet Memories won the Listed Chalice Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday to become SEA THE STARS’ 109th individual blacktype winner. The three-year-old filly, a half-sister to Group 1 winning juvenile Cursory Glance, was bred by Merry Fox Stud and is owned by Lordship Stud, having been purchased for 680,000gns at Tattersalls Book 1.
After a successful few days for SEA THE STARS, his wider influence on the breed was emphasised in Germany on Sunday, where his son Sea The Moon was responsible for a 1,2,3 in the Group 1 Preis der Diana at Düsseldorf.
