ANNIKE BYE HANSEN
Racehorse Trainer
annikebyehansen.com
Stabell Talk 2023
Left U Speechless – Good Fortune's brother
Left U Speechless is a full-brother Good Fortune, a highly successful runner trained by Sören Jensen. He won twice at his home venue Klampenborg as a juvenile, then developed into one of the best three-year-olds the following season, when he ran third in the Danish Derby before winning the Breeders' Trophy Classic and Jockeyklubbens Grand Prix at Bro Park in Sweden. He beat Hollywoodboulevard by 2 ½ lengths in the latter, while his win in the Breeders' Trophy Classic was gained at the main expense of Iron Butterfly, who was 1 ½ lengths behind him passing the winning post. Hollywoodboulevard was a well beaten third that day.
Keeping his form well at four, Good Fortune won the Breeders' Trophy Mile at Bro Park last September (this time beating Hollywoodboulevard by half a length over 1600 metres). He had earlier run second in the Listed Pokalløp at Klampenborg, where King David proved too good, and he opened his 2023 campaign by winning a valuable handicap at Meydan in Dubai, where he scored narrowly over 2000 metres. Good Fortune may be best from 1600 to 2000 metres, but Jockeyklubbens Grand Prix is contested over 2100 metres and he has also won over 2200 metres.
Left U Speechless actually looks a bit like his famous sibling, and he is an exciting newcomer at Skoganstallen. No races are won on paper, but he does have the pedigree to do well. His sire, Appel Au Maitre, was s Scandinavian champion and has done really well at stud, while his dam, the unraced Eko Palace Bay (Siyouni), has also produced Aperola with Appel Au Maitre. Aperola won 8 races from 1200 metres (at two) to 1800 metres. All of her wins have come on turf, the most notable in the Produce Stakes, and Aperola has also been placed in some tough stakes events, including a solid third behind Hollywoodboulevard and Master Bloom in the 2022 Skandinavisk Grand Prix (when Good Fortune had to settle for fourth place).
Acqualina Beauty (Montjeu), who is the second dam of Left Up Speechless, is well known as an excellent broodmare. Imported from the US, where she ran fifth on her only start, Acqualina Beauty is the dam of smart stakes winners Steinway (Danish Breeders' Cup, Danish St. Leger etc.) and Brunello (Danish Oaks, Vinterfavoriternes etc.). Her dam, Coolamon (Saratoga Six) won twice at Arlington International as a juvenile, scoring over 6 and 6.5 furlongs on dirt. GS 230223
Youngster with a winning pedigree
15 Dec 22: Bred to be special, Left U Speechless - who will be joining Annike's team along with another youngster in Run For Justice next March - is a colt likely to get a lot of attention when his racing career gets underway. His brother Good Fortune won the Breeders' Trophy Classic as a three-year-old, when he beat Iron Butterfly, and he followed up with another valuable win when landing the Breeders' Trophy Mile as a four-year-old and opened his 2023 campaign by winning a valuable handicap at Meydan in Dubai. Good Fortune, who has 9 wins from 17 starts and total earnings of over 3.3 million kroner, is trained by Søren Jensen in Denmark, where Left U Speechless was bought by Väsby Häst at the Scandinavian Open Yearling Sales in September.
This well bred colt is a son of Scandinavian Champion Appel Au Maitre, who won 12 races, including Marit Sveaas Minneløp (G3), Stockholm Cup International (G3) - twice -, Stockholm Stora Pris (G3), the Swedish Derby (LR) and the Norwegian Derby.
Left U Speechless's dam Eko Palace Bay was unraced but quickly became a success at stud. She is also the dam of Aperola, a full sister to Good Fortune who won 8 races and was placed several times in stakes company. Her finest wins came in the Future Stars and Produce Stakes. (updated Jan 27)
Geir Stabell