Third Stakes-Winner for One Cool Cat
3rd June 2008
There were high hopes for One Cool Cat when he retired to stud - after all it's not every horse that wins two G1s as a two-year-old - but even we've been taken aback by the fantastic start his first crop have made this season. One Cool Cat has had 10 individual winners already and won two of the three black-type two-year-old races run so far this year in Britain. Some hot Cat!There were two Listed winners within the space of 24 hours last week when Knavesmire (2f One Cool Cat-Caribbean Escape, by Pivotal) took the Listed Hilary Needler Trophy at Beverley on Wednesday night and Icesolator (2c One Cool Cat-Zinnia, by Zilzal) captured the Listed National Stakes at Sandown the following evening.
Trainer Mel Brittain picked up Knavesmire, who was bred by Michael O'Mahony, for just 10,000 euros as a yearling and was delighted with her gutsy win. "I came here hoping to be placed at least and Knavesmire is a decent filly who wasn't beaten far at York last time," said Brittain, who also owns the filly.
Meanwhile the Richard Hannon-trained Icesolator - who defied a 5lb penalty at Sandown - is heading to Royal Ascot after a third consecutive career success in the five-furlong contest. "He is a lovely little horse and that is not his trip - he wants six
furlongs," said Hannon. "I don't know where he will go now. I need to look at the conditions of the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, but he might be good enough for the G2 Norfolk Stakes." Icesolator was bred by Pier House Stud and sold for 65,000 euros as a yearling.
One Cool Cat notched up his third stakes-winner on Monday when Diglett (2c One Cool Cat x Rich Gift, by Cadeaux Genereux) , was successful in the Listed Premio Alberto Giubilo at Rome in Italy. A winner on debut at the same track on May 4, the Luigi Riccardi trained colt settled in fourth place before issuing his challenge and under strong riding got the better of his rivals to take the five and a half furlong event by a short neck. Diglett is a three-quarter brother to last season’s juvenile stakes-winner Black Mambazo being from the stakes-placed Cadeaux Genereux mare Rich Gift.
Meanwhile One Cool Cat is rated just a 5/4 chance with bookmakers Cashmans to be this year's leading first-crop sire.