Rizeena Second In Gr1 Falmouth Cup

Rizeena Second In Gr1 Falmouth Cup

Gr1 winning Rizeena, a close relative to Rathmor’s new resident sire Noble Tune, ran second in the Gr1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket on Friday over eight furlongs.

Owned by Shaikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, Rizeena was bidding to pocket a second Gr1 win following her success in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

Clive Brittain was happy with Rizeena’s effort, saying: “Today we were beaten by a better horse, but that’s life — she has run right up to what I expected,” he said. “She’s a very good filly, she’s lost nothing in defeat and she will probably go on to the Prix Rothschild at Deauville.”

Sharing a remarkably similar pedigree to that of Noble Tune, the bay filly is out of Serena’s Storm by Statue Of Liberty, Rizeena’s third dam is Serena’s Sister, a full-sister to Serena’s Song – the third dam of Noble Tune. Her damline also shares strong similarities to that of Noble Tune – which includes the likes of Unbridled’s Song and Storm Cat.

Rizeena has a glowing race record which includes the Moyglare Stud Stakes (Gr1) in 2013, as well as the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr2) and National Stakes (Listed). She has placed second in the Fillies Mile (Gr1) and Cherry Hinton Stakes (Gr2), and third in the Prix Morny (Gr1).

Her dam is the winning Statue of Liberty mare Serena’s Storm, a half sister to Australian Gr2 winner Puissance de Lune, who was twice Gr 1-placed.

Identified by bloodstock agent Alistair Brown who has also chosen the likes of Fort Wood, Rathmor Stud have purchased Noble Tune(USA) and he has arrived in South Africa.

Michael McHardy of Rathmor comments: “We were really impressed by his pedigree and race record, which considering Noble Tune was only three at the time, was rather impressive as well as the rising star in his half-brother Honor code.”

From just seven starts, all over turf, Noble Tune won four races – kicking off with a winning debut and going onto win the Gr3 Pilgrim Stakes at two years of age, and finishing a close second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Gr1. At age three he continued top form to take home the Gr2 American Turf Stakes.

His half-brother Honor Code (by A.P. Indy) won the 2013 Remsen Stakes Gr3 but had to scratch from the Gr1 Kentucky Derby due to injury.

Noble Tune and Honor Code are the only runners produced by Stakes winner Serena’s Cat, a half-sister to freshman sire Vocalised, a two-time Gr3 winner who stands in Ireland. Serena’s Cat is a granddaughter of 1995 champion 3-year-old filly Serena’s Song, dam of Gr1 winner Sophisticat and Graded Stakes Winners Schramsberg, Grand Reward, and Harlington, and stakes winner Serena’s Tune.

Noble Tune has already has a quality book of mares lined up and will stand for a fee of R25 000 this season.