Earning TDN Rising Star status on debut when winning over a mile at Yarmouth Aug. 30, George Strawbridge’s Indigo Girl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) made an impressively rapid jump forward to capture Thursday’s G2 bet365 May Hill S. at Doncaster. Held up in last early by Frankie Dettori after an awkward start, the 10-3 second favourite was delivered with an eye-catching move stand’s side to swamp the long-time leader Dubai Fountain (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. Despite running green in front, the full-sister to the same connections’ group 1 winner Journey (GB) carved out a comfortable 3/4-of-a-length success from that rival, with the 6-5 favourite Zabeel Queen (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) a length further behind in third. “I rode Journey and she’s the same type–not over-big, but she’s got loads of gears,” Dettori said. “She travelled smoothly and quickened well. She ran a bit green and ducked left and right, but it’s only her second start so you can excuse her for that. She’s from a talented family and everything is in the right place. She seems easier to handle than her siblings. She’s got a good future and fingers crossed she can go all the way.”
John Gosden was enjoying a fifth renewal of this Classic pointer and said, “She did it very smoothly at Yarmouth and she’s been in great form since. The race didn’t knock her back a bit–it was rather like a piece of work. If we’d gone for another novice race, she would have had to lump a lot of weight and I don’t like doing that with two-year-olds. You can end up giving seven pounds to a group horse and you don’t know it. The May Hill is a beautiful race over the straight mile. The track is in beautiful nick and I thought we’d bring her here and see if we could nick a bit of black-type. She relaxed beautifully, which is key, and smoothly came through. I admit when she hit the front she ran around, but that’s the trainer’s fault because when I work them at home, I don’t like them bursting clear and breaking another one’s heart.”
Of targets, he added, “She’s obviously got a lot of talent. As long as she continues to enjoy her racing, she can move upward. There are two options this year–the [G1] Prix Marcel Boussac and the [G1] Fillies’ Mile. We could look at either of those or wait until next year, we’ll just have to see at this stage. Her mother won a Prix Royal-Oak and her full-sister won the Fillies & Mares Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot over a mile and a half. Funnily enough, I see this one as more of a mile to a mile-and-a-quarter filly. She travels strong and has a great turn of foot.”
As mentioned by her trainer, Journey captured the 2016 G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. when she beat Speedy Boarding (GB) (Shamardal) by four lengths. Also runner-up in that race the previous year and successful in the G3 Pinnacle S. and second in the 2017 G1 Prix Vermeille, she is out of Montare (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) who took the G1 Prix Royal Oak, G2 Prix de Royallieu and G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris. Her dual listed-winning dam Contare (GB) (Shirley Heights (GB) is also the second dam of Worth Waiting (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), winner of the G2 Dahlia S. and G3 Prix Minerve. Montare’s other black-type performer is Travelling Man (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who was placed in three pattern races including when third in the G2 Grand Prix de Deauville. Her 3-year-old filly Mostly (GB) (Makfi {GB}) has won at Kempton this term, while her yearling filly is also by Dubawi.
Thursday, Doncaster, Britain
BET365 MAY HILL S.-G2, £60,000, Doncaster, 9-10, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:38.84, gd.
1–INDIGO GIRL (GB), 126, f, 2, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Montare (Ire) (G1SW-Fr, $852,544), by Montjeu (Ire)
2nd Dam: Contare (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
3rd Dam: Balenare (GB), by Pharly (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-George Strawbridge (GB); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £34,026. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $49,762. *Full to Journey (GB), Hwt. Older Mare-Eng at 11-14f, G1SW-Eng & G1SP-Fr, $912,717; and 1/2 to Travelling Man (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), MGSP-Fr, $127,771. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dubai Fountain (Ire), 126, f, 2, Teofilo (Ire)–Nafura (GB), by Dubawi (Ire). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Mark Johnston. £12,900.
3–Zabeel Queen (Ire), 126, f, 2, Frankel (GB)–Dubai Queen, by Kingmambo. O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £6,456.
Margins: 3/4, 1, NK. Odds: 3.33, 8.50, 1.20.
Also Ran: Lilac Road (Ire), Star of Emaraaty (Ire), Prado (GB), Great Vibes (GB), Mere Green (Ire), Ubuntu (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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