Juddmonte's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud runner-up Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}–Nisriyna {Ire}, by Intikhab) had failed to build upon a wide-margin triumph in May's G3 Chester Vase, but regained the winning thread and punched his ticket to next month's G1 St Leger with a pillar-to-post victory in Saturday's G3 BetVictor Geoffrey Freer S at Newbury.
Remaining out wide lobbing along on the lead before taking the shortest route around the sweeping home turn, the 5-6 favourite was shaken up in the centre of the track with three furlongs remaining and maintained a high tempo inside the final quarter-mile to easily withstand the late threat of Ching Shih (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) by a geared-down 1 1/2 lengths. Roger Varian trainee Shandoz (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) fared best of the remainder and finished six lengths adrift in third.
The G1 Derby 10th and G2 King Edward VII S. fifth becomes a record-breaking fifth winner of the contest for Frankie Dettori and a first for the Gosden stable since Presenting (GB) (Mtoto {GB}) obliged in 1995.
“Everyone expected the ground to be a bog, but it's good-to-soft, and he was the Derby favourite so he had to do that,” said Dettori. “He's one card for the St Leger, but let's see how Gregory gets on next Wednesday [in the G2 Great Voltigeur]. He's one of a bunch of top horses John [Gosden] is sending to York, it's a very strong team and I can't wait. Soft ground is not an issue with him and if it's soft at Doncaster it would be fine.”
One ride, one winner
@FrankieDettori becomes the winning-most rider in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes by driving home warm favourite Arrest.
Might that be the last time we see Frankie @NewburyRacing?
pic.twitter.com/AA8Ee4VS5W
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 19, 2023
Pedigree Notes
Arrest is the seventh of nine foals and one of six scorers from as many runners out of an unraced half-sister to MGSW G1 Nassau S. and G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud placegetter Narniyn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and multiple stakes winner Temerity (Ind) (Intense Focus). The April-foaled bay is a half-brother to GSW G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup third Dinozzo (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}), Listed Rous S. third Spring Loaded (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}), a yearling filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) and a weanling colt by Dark Angel (Ire). Descendants of his third dam Noufiyla (Ire) (Top Ville {Ire}) include MGSW G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup runner-up Maiden Tower (GB) (Groom Dancer) and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac third Copperbeech (Ire) (Red Ransom).
Saturday, Newbury, Britain
BETVICTOR GEOFFREY FREER S.-G3, £70,000, Newbury, 8-19, 3yo/up, 13f 61yT, 2:53.79, g/s.
1–ARREST (IRE), 127, c, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Nisriyna (Ire), by Intikhab
2nd Dam: Narmina (Ire), by Alhaarth (Ire)
3rd Dam: Noufiyla (Ire), by Top Ville (Ire)
(€440,000 Wlg '20 GOFNOV). O-Juddmonte; B-Swordlestown Little (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £39,697. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 8-4-1-1, $216,481. *1/2 to Dinozzo (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}), GSW & G1SP-HK, $1,509,980; and Spring Loaded (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}), SP-Eng, $300,332. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ching Shih (Ire), 130, f, 4, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Madame Chiang (GB), by Archipenko. O/B-Kirsten Rausing (IRE); T-David Simcock. £15,050.
3–Shandoz (GB), 133, g, 6, Golden Horn (GB)–Shabyt (GB), by Sadler's Wells. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Nurlan Bizakov; B-Hesmonds Stud Ltd (GB); T-Roger Varian. £7,532.
Margins: 1HF, 6, 2. Odds: 0.83, 20.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Luisa Casati (Ire), Kemari (GB), Jack Darcy (Ire), Klondike (GB). Scratched: Enemy (GB).
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