| Kasept |
11-05-2021 12:22 PM |
Kellie Reilly Euro Analysis:
#15 REAL APPEAL: Leopardstown aficionado comes off his biggest career win on Irish Champions Weekend and hopes that his game translates as effectively to Del Mar.Bred in Germany, Real Appeal is a son of Sidestep, an Australian champion juvenile colt by Exceed and Excel. Sidestep sired a Golden Slipper (G1) winner (Kiamichi) in his first Australian crop, and Real Appeal is the top performer from his initial European progeny. Real Appeal’s dam, the Green Desert mare Runaway Sparkle, descends from the maternal line responsible for champion Thunder Gulch.
A €7,500 bargain buy as an Arqana December weanling, Real Appeal won his first two starts in France for trainer Matthieu Palussiere. He cut it close in both, and after a narrow loss third time out, he added blinkers when prevailing by a head in the 2019 Prix La Fleche. Real Appeal was made eligible for the Norfolk (G2) and offered at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of Royal Ascot. As a promising juvenile set to run at the prestigious meeting, he accordingly commanded much more in this tour of the auction ring. The internationally-minded Yuesheng Zhang secured him for £265,000, in the name of his Yulong Investments.
But Real Appeal didn’t run up to his price tag for quite some time. He went off at 25-1 in the Norfolk and dropped back to last. Switched to Irish horseman Jim Bolger, Real Appeal continued to disappoint for the remainder of the season. He was gelded in advance of his sophomore campaign, but showed little in a Naas premier handicap and folded to fifth in the Committed S.
Real Appeal changed yards again in mid-2020, joining Jessica Harrington. Although still stuck in a losing skid, he began to show more in handicaps. Most notably, he threatened to pull a 50-1 shock in a premier handicap on Irish Champions Weekend. He rolled to the front in the Leopardstown stretch, only to be caught late in third, in a harbinger of future efforts at the Dublin track.
When reappearing at Leopardstown Apr. 11 in a seven-furlong handicap, Real Appeal swept from off the pace to justify 4-1 favoritism. He shouldered top weight of 136 pounds in a May 7 premier handicap at Cork, where he kept on doggedly on the stands’ side to miss by two heads in third. Real Appeal returned to Group company for the first time since his juvenile days in the June 10 Ballycorus (G3), and his love for Leopardstown again shone through. The only one able to catch pacesetting Lord of the Lodge, the 6-1 chance delivered a potent kick from further back in the pack. Real Appeal left comebacker Pearls Galore behind in third.
Up to a mile for the Aug. 12 Desmond (G3) at his favorite track, Real Appeal didn’t pack quite the same punch toting 138 pounds on good-to-yielding going. Also, he was racing without his usual cheek pieces and shadow roll while settling for third. The victorious filly Create Belief, odds-on here after a resounding score in a Royal Ascot handicap, was receiving 13 pounds.
Real Appeal rebounded on better ground over the same course and distance in the Sept. 11 Boomerang Mile (G2). Sporting his cheekpieces and shadow roll, the 14-1 chance launched a perfectly-timed rally to beat the deep closers. Runner-up Fev Rover had been third to Mother Earth in the 1000 Guineas (G1), and Irish 2000 Guineas (G1) victor Mac Swiney was a subpar 11th as the favorite.
Going left-handed on a quick surface is just what Real Appeal thrives on, and his experience in the cut-and-thrust of big fields will serve him well. The four-year-old needs another career effort to factor here, but he’s in the form of his life.
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