Sea The Stars dazzles in Irish Champion Stakes

by Mike Curry

Leopardstown Racecourse drew 9,100 fans on Saturday eager to watch a superstar, and dual English classic winner Sea The Stars obliged with a dazzling performance befitting a champion in the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-G1).

The three-year-old Cape Cross (Ire) colt overwhelmed an Irish classic winner and a European champion with an explosive burst of speed, inhaling Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Ire-G1) winner Fame And Glory and Mastercraftsman en route to his fifth Group 1 win in as many starts this season.

Despite being boxed in briefly entering the straight, Sea The Stars proved his superiority once given his cue by Mick Kinane as he rolled right past his formidable opponents to score by an easy 2 1/2 lengths. Trained by John Oxx for owner Chris Tsui, he completed 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.90 on turf rated as good to yielding.

“He’s one of those landmark horses that come along every 25 to 30 years that we always remember, and he’s the nearest living thing to a machine,” Oxx said of his regally bred three-year-old. “If any of us is still around at the end of the century, I doubt there will be too many other horses who have achieved what he has done.”

Sea The Stars has amassed his five Group 1 victories at distances from a mile to about 1 1/2 miles, including classic triumphs in the Stanjames.com Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-G1), in which he defeated Fame And Glory by 1 3/4 lengths.

His performance on the track is rivalled only by his pedigree. Bred in Ireland by Sunderland Holdings, Sea The Stars is one of seven stakes winners produced by 1993 CIGA Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) winner Urban Sea, by Miswaki. Sea The Stars is a half brother to European champion and leading sire Galileo (Ire), multiple Group 1 winner Black Sam Bellamy, and Grade 1 winner My Typhoon (Ire).

The Irish Champion Stakes was billed as a rematch between Sea The Stars and Fame And Glory, who won the Irish Derby after his Epsom Derby defeat and appeared much improved since their previous meeting. So, too was Sea The Stars.

"He's heavier now than at any stage of his career and really thriving," Oxx told England’s Press Association.

One of five Ballydoyle runners, along with Mastercraftsman, Fame And Glory was reserved in seventh as two of his stablemates set a strong pace. Sea The Stars was rated in fifth and moved comfortably across the ground, which was softened by rain this week and a source of concern for Oxx.

Fame And Glory got the jump on Sea The Stars, who was trapped in traffic entering the straight, and took charge from 2008 European champion two-year-old male Mastercraftsman with about a quarter-mile remaining.

Kinane calmly angled Sea The Stars to the outside and within a matter of a few powerful strides the race was his. He quickly reeled in Fame And Glory and blew right on by to solidify his status as the top turf horse on the planet.

“It was always going to be a bit less than what we feel is his perfect going, but we thought he could win anyway, such was [our] confidence in him,” Oxx told England’s Press Association.” He was just in great form and has a constitution like no other.”

The victory earned Sea The Stars a starting spot in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) on November 7 at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park meeting via the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series. However, Oxx said he would be more inclined to send him to Southern California for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). First up for Sea The Stars will be the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on October 4 at Longchamp.

“There is the Champion Stakes (Eng-G1) at Newmarket after the Arc but, and I’m even boring myself by saying it, we will just have to see what the ground is like before each race,” Oxx said. “Then, of course, there is Santa Anita, but November 7 is still a long way away. It’s a hell of an ask to keep going that long for a horse that had a Guineas preparation in May, and I’d think it would be the Classic rather than the Turf that we would think about—but it’s such a long way off that we’re not talking about it now.”

Fame And Glory held up his end of the challenge in the rematch, posting his second runner-up finish to Sea The Stars. He was 2 1/2 lengths clear of Mastercraftsman.

"It was a properly, strongly run race. You're always hopeful, but the second horse ran his best coming back off a break and we are looking forward to his next run,” Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O’Brien told England’s Press Association. "Sea The Stars is a great horse, and if he hadn't been here, Fame And Glory would have won."

Starring at the highest level
 

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor