Sea the Stars adds to growing legacy in Juddmonte International

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).