Lucky Vega
Lucky Vega (foaled 27 February 2018) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2020, as a two-year-old he won on his debut and then finished second in the Railway Stakes before winning the Phoenix Stakes.
| Lucky Vega | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Lope de Vega |
| Grandsire | Shamardal |
| Dam | Queen of Carthage |
| Damsire | Cape Cross |
| Sex | Colt |
| Foaled | 27 February 2018[1] |
| Country | Ireland |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Kilcarn Stud |
| Owner | Zhang Yuesheng |
| Trainer | Jessica Harrington |
| Record | 3: 2-1-0 |
| Earnings | £178,971 |
| Major wins | |
| Phoenix Stakes (2020) | |
Background
Lucky Vega is a bay colt with a white star bred in Ireland by the County Meath-based Kilcarn Stud. As a foal in November 2018 he was consigned to the Goffs Sale where he was bought for €110,000 by Michael Roy. The colt was returned to the Goffs sales ring in 2019 for the Orby Sale and was sold for €175,000 to BBA Ireland and YuLong Investments.[2] He entered the ownership of YuLong's founder Zhang Yuesheng and was sent into training with Jessica Harrington at Moone, County Kildare.
He was from the seventh crop of foals sired by the Prix du Jockey Club winner Lope de Vega whose other foals have included Phoenix of Spain, Newspaperofrecord, Belardo, Vega Magic (Memsie Stakes) The Right Man (Al Quoz Sprint) and Santa Ana Lane (Stradbroke Handicap).[3] Lucky Vega's dam Queen of Carthage was an unraced daughter of the Prix de l'Opera winner Satwa Queen.[4][5]
Racing career
2020: two-year-old season
Lucky Vega made his racecourse debut in a maiden race over six furlongs on good to firm ground at Naas Racecourse on 8 June in which he was ridden by Shane Foley and started the 9/2 second favourite in an eighteen-runner field. After tracking the leaders he showed his inexperience as he hung to the left approaching the final furlong but kept on well to overtake the favoured Lipizzaner in the closing stages to win by half a length.[6] For his next start, the colt was stepped up in class to contest the Group 2 Railway Stakes over the same distance on softer ground at the Curragh on 18 July and started the 3/1 second favourite. He lost his position entering the last quarter mile before staying on in the closing stages to finish second, beaten half a length by the 66/1 outsider Laws of Indices.
On 9 August, over the same course and distance, Lucky Vega was partnered by Foley in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and started the 4/1 second favourite behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained St Mark's Basilica. The other eight runners included Laws of Indices, Steel Bull (Molecomb Stakes), The Lir Jet (Norfolk Stakes), Ventura Tormenta (Prix Robert Papin) and Aloha Star (Airlie Stud Stakes). Lucky Vega raced just behind the leaders before taking the lead inside the final furlong and drawing away to win "easily" by three and a half lengths and a short head from Aloha Star and The Lir Jet. The placings of the second and third were reversed after a stewards' enquiry.[7] Jessica Harrington said "He probably needed it the last day because he had won his maiden without getting into a battle. The last day, when he got into a bit of a battle, it just hardened him up. He was much more streetwise and, on his work at home, he had really started to come to himself".[8]
Pedigree
| Sire Lope de Vega (IRE) 2007 |
Shamardal (USA) 2002 |
Giant's Causeway | Storm Cat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mariah's Storm | |||
| Helsinki (GB) | Machiavellian (USA) | ||
| Helen Street | |||
| Lady Vettori (GB) 1997 |
Vettori (IRE) | Machiavellian (USA) | |
| Air Distingue (USA) | |||
| Lady Golconda (FR) | Kendor | ||
| Lady Sharp | |||
| Dam Queen of Carthage (USA) 2009 |
Cape Cross (IRE) 1994 |
Green Desert (USA) | Danzig |
| Foreign Courier | |||
| Park Appeal | Ahonoora (GB) | ||
| Balidaress | |||
| Satwa Queen (FR) 2002 |
Muhtathir (GB) | Elmaamul (USA) | |
| Majmu (USA) | |||
| Tolga (USA) | Irish River (FR) | ||
| Light of Realm (IRE) (Family: 10)[5] |
- Through his sire, Lucky Vega was inbred 4 × 4 to Machiavellian, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.
References
- "Lucky Vega pedigree". Equineline.
- O'Donoghue, Ollie. "Phoenix Stakes scorer Lucky Vega another top-class juvenile for Lope De Vega". Racing Post.
- "Lope De Vega - Stud Record". Racing Post.
- "Satwa Queen - Race Record". Racing Post.
- "Fair Helen - Family 10". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
- "Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden result". Racing Post. 8 June 2020.
- "Phoenix Stakes result". Racing Post. 9 August 2020.
- Jennings, David (9 August 2020). "Lucky Vega Demolishes Competition in Phoenix Stakes". The Blood-Horse.