Sons and Lover gave Joseph O'Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle the Red Sea Turf Handicap
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The son of Study of Man showed the ability to gallop and took the challenge over 3000 meters on the turf
By Diego H. Mitagstein (Special Correspondent for Turf Diario in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (From a special correspondent).- Great nights are also measured in endurance. And the Red Sea Turf Handicap (G2), with 2.5 million dollars and 3000 meters ahead on the turf, offered a full-fledged battle of stamina that ended with an Irish accent. The English-bred Sons and Lover (GB), trained by Joseph O'Brien, took the seventh edition of the Saudi marathon after a vibrant and tactical finish.
The race had a strategic development from the start. Tennessee Stud (Wootton Bassett), a stablemate of the winner, set a glacial pace in the lead, while Sons and Lover traveled well-positioned along the rails in an expectant position. Dylan Browne McMonagle knew how to read the script: patience first, decision later.
In the long three-turn test, the son of Study of Man began to find his best stride. Already in the final stretch, McMonagle filtered him through rivals and, when he saw daylight, launched him with determination. He took command and had to resist a triple outside charge from Tabletalk (Camelot) and Tarriance (Frankel), while Real Dream (Lope de Vega) also tried to advance on the inside.
The Irish horse was pure courage in the decisive meters. He held the advantage and crossed the wire with a 1/2-length difference in 3m11s560. Tabletalk was second, a neck ahead of Tarriance, who in turn defeated Real Dream by a minimum. Epic Poet (Lope de Vega), runner-up last year, finished fifth after a good late run.
The victory had a special flavor for O’Brien, who achieved his first win at the meeting after 8 attempts, following several places in previous versions. “He progressed a lot and this was clearly the best performance of his campaign,” the trainer noted. “It was the first time he ran the distance. He was a bit enthusiastic at the beginning, but Dylan relaxed him very well. When he found space in the stretch, he was in the ideal place and was brave when they came to challenge him.”
Regarding the future, O’Brien left the door open for Dubai: “It is a real possibility. The owners love competing internationally and we believe this horse still has his best ahead of him. It’s a very special win. Coming to Arabia is already a privilege; winning makes it even more meaningful.”
McMonagle, for his part, highlighted the preparation: “He was coming perfectly. My job was simple. He broke fast and I didn’t want to be so far forward, so Tennessee Stud's pace suited me well. I knew he had speed from shorter distances and that he was going to accelerate hard. When I got alongside, he waited a bit, but he was very tough when challenged.”
Rossa Ryan, second with Tabletalk, praised the effort: “He ran a huge race, giving weight to the younger ones. If the pace had been more genuine, perhaps the result would have changed. He is in great form after being gelded.”
Oisin Murphy, third with Tarriance, was also satisfied: “It was his best performance. The distance and the low weight helped him a lot.”
In a race that demanded patience, lungs, and nerves, Sons and Lover proved that staying races can also be electrifying. Riyadh had its marathon epic, and the outcome belonged to Ireland.
