On all known form, Cheveley Park Stud's Sacred (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) was entitled to win Friday's Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup but having disappointed when sixth in the Aug. 20 G2 City of York S. there was an element of doubt which she put firmly to bed with a confidence-restoring command performance. Always happy tracking the pace over the Newbury course and seven-furlong distance at which she excelled in 2021 when taking the G2 Hungerford S., the 10-11 favourite treated the useful pair of Saleymm (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Shine So Bright (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) as if they were lead horses and after cruising between them took control a furlong out before winning by 6 1/2 lengths with utter authority.
“She loves Newbury, but she's a funny old bird, very talented but not the easiest,” Maureen Haggas said of the winner who had returned this term with a close-up fifth in Royal Ascot's G1 Platinum Jubilee S. June 18 prior to finishing out of the frame in Goodwood's G2 Lennox S. July 26 and at the York Ebor Festival. “I think after her good run at Ascot, they got too strung out at York and she lost interest.”
Sacred's dam Sacre Caroline (Blame), a 300,000gns purchase by the Stud at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, is a half-sister to the champion turf female Lady Eli (Divine Park) whose achievements include the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational, GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, GI Flower Bowl S., GI Diana S. and GI Gamely S. Also a half to the GIII Mint Julep H. scorer Bizzy Caroline (Afleet Alex), her 2-year-old colt A Dublin Lad (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) is unraced, she has a yearling colt also by Ulysses who is heading to next month's Book 1 Sale, and a filly foal by Frankel (GB).
DUBAI DUTY FREE CUP-Listed, £40,000, Newbury, 9-16, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:25.54, gd.
1–SACRED (GB), 125, f, 4, Exceed And Excel (Aus)–Sacre Caroline, by Blame. O-Cheveley Park Stud; B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-William Haggas; J-Tom Marquand. £22,684. Lifetime Record: MGSW-Eng, 12-4-3-0, $241,539.
2–Saleymm (Ire), 130, g, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Talmada, by Cape Cross (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Simon & Ed Crisford. £8,600.
3–Shine So Bright (GB), 130, h, 6, Oasis Dream (GB)–Alla Speranza (GB), by Sir Percy (GB). (57,000gns Wlg '16 TATFOA; €27,000 Ylg '17 GOFOR; £375,000 2yo '18 GOFLON). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-Miss K Rausing (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £4,304.
Margins: 6HF, 3/4, NK. Odds: 0.91, 3.30, 14.00.
Also Ran: Siamsa (Ire), Tacarib Bay (GB), Jumby (Ire), Heat of The Moment (GB).
Back in business!
Ultra-classy filly Sacred banishes memories of what had been a tricky campaign with a flawless success in the Dubai Duty Free Cup Stakes @NewburyRacing @CPStudOfficial | @TomMarquand pic.twitter.com/9Jvh5WP1Ck
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 16, 2022
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