Frankel’s Sapphire Seas Takes The John Musker

Coming into Wednesday's Listed EBF Stallions John Musker Fillies' S. off a win in Haydock's Reprocolor Premier Fillies' H. 13 days previously, Godolphin's Sapphire Seas (GB) (Frankel {GB}) raised her game again to beat some talented peers for her black-type breakthrough. Tracking the leaders early, the 9-2 shot travelled smoothly to the fore under William Buick approaching two out and had command soon after. Pushed out to assert her superiority, the Charlie Appleby-trained homebred hit the line with 2 1/2 lengths to spare over the smart yardstick Mukaddamah (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), with the returning TDN Rising Star Infinite Cosmos (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) 3/4 of a length away in third. The 10-11 favourite Al Asifah (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who had so impressed earlier in the season, was only seventh.

Buick, who registered a four-timer on the card for Appleby, said, “It was a very smart performance. She won nicely last time at Haydock in a fillies' handicap and she's certainly stepped up on that. She's going to keep improving hopefully. I would say the team will be delighted with what they saw there and hopefully she'll be around for next year. This is a nice race, a lovely race for fillies. Let's hope she can go on to better things.”

Sapphire Seas' Listed Meydan Classic-winning dam Pure Diamond (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) is a daughter of the G3 Prix Miesque winner White Rose (Ger) (Platini {Ger}) who was also second in the G1 Preis der Diana. Responsible also for the fellow listed scorers Elite Army (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) and Promesse De L'Aube (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), the family includes Wild Coco (Ger) (Shirocco {Ger}) who captured the G2 Park Hill S. and two renewals of the G3 Lillie Langtry S. and was second in the G1 Prix Vermeille. Pure Diamond also has an as-yet unnamed 2-year-old colt by Kingman (GB) and a filly foal by Night Of Thunder (Ire).

EBF STALLIONS JOHN MUSKER FILLIES S.-Listed, £52,000, Great Yarmouth, 9-20, 3yo/up, f/m, 10f 23yT, 2:06.95, gd.
1–SAPPHIRE SEAS (GB), 125, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Pure Diamond (GB) (SW-UAE, $112,587), by Street Cry (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £29,234. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, $62,960.
2–Mukaddamah (GB), 130, f, 4, New Approach (Ire)–Craighall (GB), by Dubawi (Ire). (80,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd; B-Whatton Manor Stud (GB); T-Roger Varian. £11,128.
3–Infinite Cosmos (Ire), 125, f, 3, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Waila (GB), by Notnowcato (GB).
TDN Rising Star. O-Exors of the late Sir E D Rothschild; B-South Court Stud (IRE); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £5,569.
Margins: 2HF, 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 4.50, 16.00, 5.00.
Also Ran: Fall In Love (Ire), La Isla Mujeres (Fr), Persist (GB), Al Asifah (GB), Morning Poem (GB), Khinjani (GB), Makinmedoit (Ire), Queen of The Skies (GB), Sparkling Beauty (Fr), Belhaven (Ire), Cite d'Or (Fr).

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Frankel’s Soul Sister Out On Her Own In The Musidora

Allowed to start at 18-1 for York's G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. on Wednesday, Lady Bamford's Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}–Dream Peace {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}) threw her hat into the ring for the Oaks with a dominant display under Frankie Dettori. Ignored due to her tame effort when last in the seven-furlong G3 Fred Darling S. on testing ground at Newbury last month, the homebred travelled best of all with two behind early on ground without give for the first time. As TDN Rising Stars Infinite Cosmos (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Gather Ye Rosebuds (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}) over-raced in front, the full-sister to the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon winner Dreamflight (GB) took her time and built a head of steam on the outer to take command two furlong out. Soon clear, the John and Thady Gosden trainee was four lengths ahead of the G1 Fillies' Mile runner-up Novakai (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) at the line, as the 15-8 favourite Infinite Cosmos wound up half a length behind in third.

“We ran in the Fred Darling, but the ground was bottomless and it ended up being a nice piece of work,” Gosden Sr said of the winner, whose only 2-year-old start saw her battle to success in a mile maiden at Doncaster in October. “I didn't expect her to win by four lengths, but I did think she'd definitely be in the three. Frankie thinks she should run in the Oaks, so we will. I'd explained to Lady Bamford we needed to find out what we had and I knew the trip and ground would improve her. At the moment, I think we'll have Running Lion in the Oaks as well, so we've got two lovely fillies.”

Soul Sister may have benefitted to a degree from the fact that several of the leading fancies did too much early, but her commanding margin at the line told its own tale. “The ground and the distance at Newbury were wrong and John's horses all needed the run at the time,” Dettori added. “She gave me a great feel, travelled well and quickened twice.”

Novakai is set for the G1 Prix de Diane according to Karl Burke. “You're always a bit disappointed when you get beat, but she ran a lovely race for her first run and the winner had a run under her belt,” he said. “She got in a nice rhythm. With hindsight we probably could have gone and made the running, but they were going a nice, even gallop and she quickened up once and just keeps galloping after that. She is in the English Oaks as well and I'm sure she would stay a mile and a half, but I know Sheikh Mohammed Obaid was favouring the French Oaks beforehand.”

Sir Michael Stoute said of Infinite Cosmos, “She ran a nice, solid race and stays well. She's still a little bit raw. We would have liked a lead.” Richard Fahey said of the fourth Midnight Mile (Ire) (No Nay Never), “She ran well and there was plenty of strength in depth in the race. I just felt she got tired in the last furlong, so that will put her right. We'll keep her at that trip at the moment, definitely. On the dam's side she can go further in time, but at the moment I'm thinking of the Prix de Diane and I haven't changed my mind.”

Pedigree Notes

Soul Sister is the sixth foal out of the dam, whose career tally included a win in the G2 Prix de la Nonette and placings in two editions of the GI Diana S. and GI E. P. Taylor S. apiece and a GI Flower Bowl Invitational. Bought for 2.7million gns at the 2013 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, she produced the stakes-placed Questionare (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Frankel's group 3-placed Herman Hesse (GB) and the ultimately disappointing TDN Rising Star Guru (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Her fourth foal was the aforementioned Andre Fabre-trained Dreamflight, winner of the 2021 G3 Prix Thomas Bryon and last year's Listed Prix Omnium II, while she is also responsible for a 2-year-old colt by Sea The Stars (Ire) and a yearling filly by Le Havre (Ire).

Dream Peace is a daughter of Truly A Dream (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), who annexed the E. P. Taylor when it was staged as a grade II and who also produced Ballydoyle's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up Catcher In The Rye (Ire) by Dansili's sire Danehill. Also the third dam of the G3 Lacken S. scorer Only Mine (Ire) (Pour Moi {Ire}), she hails from the high-class dynasty of the group 1-winning half-sisters Moonstone (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Cerulean Sky (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), who both proved to be top producers. This is also the family of last year's G1 Platinum Jubilee S. hero Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the G1 Empire Rose S. and G1 Australian Oaks heroine Colette (Aus) (Hallowed Crown {Aus}).

Wednesday, York, Britain
TATTERSALLS MUSIDORA S.-G3, £130,000, York, 5-17, 3yo, f, 10f 56yT, 2:10.11, gd.
1–SOUL SISTER (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
     1st Dam: Dream Peace (Ire) (GSW-Fr, MGISP-Can, MGISP-US, $815,242), by Dansili (GB)
     2nd Dam: Truly A Dream (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
     3rd Dam: Truly Special (Ire), by Caerleon
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Lady Bamford (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Frankie Dettori. £73,723. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $96,173. *Full to Dreamflight (GB), GSW-Fr, $127,492; Full to Herman Hesse (GB), GSP-Aus, $196,401. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Novakai (GB), 128, f, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Elasia (GB), by Nathaniel (Ire). O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum (GB); T-Karl Burke. £27,950.
3–Infinite Cosmos (Ire), 128, f, 3, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Waila (GB), by Notnowcato (GB).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. TDN Rising Star. O-Exors of the late Sir E D Rothschild; B-Southcourt Stud (IRE); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £13,988.
Margins: 4, HF, SHD. Odds: 18.00, 3.30, 1.88.
Also Ran: Midnight Mile (Ire), Sea of Roses (GB), Lambada (Ire), Empress Wu (GB), Gather Ye Rosebuds (GB).

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Infinite Possibilities On The Knavesmire

   Sir Michael Stoute unveiled his 2022 Epsom Classic winner at York's three-day Dante meeting and bids to repeat that trick on Wednesday as he puts TDN Rising Star Infinite Cosmos (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) to the test in the G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. over an extended 10 furlongs. Following the astronomic performance of Savethelastdance  (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at Chester last week, the Oaks appears cut and dried as long as the Ballydoyle starlet stays on track but that is not a certainty during this volatile time of year, especially for the fillies. Infinite Cosmos did more to impress in defeat on debut than when breaking her maiden at Newmarket 12 days ago and Stoute himself described that as workmanlike, so it may be that the Rothschild homebred reaches her obvious potential later than June as was the case with her Sea The Stars-sired relative Crystal Ocean (GB).

Making The Great Leap Forward

Following the Cheshire Oaks, the story of this year's Epsom Classic is the race just to stay in the relative vicinity of the newest and potentially greatest middle-distance filly Rosegreen has produced in the Aidan O'Brien era. Her incredible closing sectionals, fascinatingly compared with Shergar's in Simon Rowlands Sectional Spotlight blog on the At The Races site, mean that all remaining trials for Epsom will have to pass the clock's inspection. One who has the potential to put up a big figure in that respect is another who recently received the TDN Rising Star honour in Linda Shanahan and Emily Magnier's 9 1/2-length Newbury maiden winner Gather Ye Rosebuds (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}).

“It was a great result first time and she put in what looks like an outstanding performance,” trainer Jack Channon said. “I feel like, mentally and physically, she's improved from that run. She's a big filly that's maturing day in, day out. She hadn't quite lost her coat at Newbury, but she's really shining now. She's started to flourish in the last three weeks and I couldn't be happier with the way all her work and everything like that's gone.”

The Yardsticks

Every Classic trial worth its salt needs proven performers and the Musidora has those thanks to the presence of Roisin Henry's G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf fourth Midnight Mile (Ire) (No Nay Never), Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's G1 Fillies' Mile runner-up Novakai (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Weldspec Glasgow Limited's G3 Prix Penelope runner-up Sea Of Roses (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), with the latter having beaten Infinite Cosmos last term. Richard Fahey is happy that Midnight Mile, a relative of Sadler's Wells's Oaks winner Quarter Moon (Ire) and runner-up Yesterday (Ire), will be more at home racing further than a mile for the first time.

“She has wintered extremely well and we are very happy with her,” he said. “She has filled out and I should imagine this trip will probably suit her well, but this is a good Musidora, a very good race and it will be a good filly who wins it. She started late last year and she took a little time to come to herself, so I haven't rushed her this year. She got some nice experience last year and we've always felt she would make a better 3-year-old, so fingers crossed.”

 Welcome Back, Princess

In the day's feature G2 1895 Duke Of York Clipper S., Highfield Princess (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) makes her keenly-anticipated return to action in the race that saw her reputation take off towards the stratosphere 12 months ago. Those expecting a repeat would be well-advised to remember that the G1 Nunthorpe S., G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 Flying Five heroine came into the 2022 renewal on the back of an all-weather campaign consisting of four races and is under a Group 1 penalty this time. That may tell with the likes of Bennett Racing's improving G1 Al Quoz Sprint runner-up The Astrologist (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}) and Nick Bradley Racing's high-class 3-year-old Marshman (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}) in attendance and race-sharpened.

John Quinn is aware of the different task this time. “She had a break after America, but she's been back in a while,” he explained. “We're pleased how she's training, but all of her life she's been getting the mares' allowance and now, with her Group 1 penalty, obviously she's giving weight to colts which won't be easy.”

Marshman took part in just about the best 2-year-old race over this six-furlong trip in 2022 when second to Noble Style (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the G2 Gimcrack S. at this track's flagship Ebor Festival and will be primed after his return win in Chantilly's G3 Prix Sigy last month. “If you look at the horses behind him in the Gimcrack, Cold Case was four lengths behind him and Royal Scotsman was six lengths behind,” Nick Bradley said. “I think that was a really, really good race. What I was impressed about at Chantilly was the way he accelerated away from the field. We expected him to get tired and he did, but he's come out of the race really well and it should put him spot-on for this.”

A Star At Vichy

Meanwhile in France, Vichy stages its first Flat meeting of the season and plays host to Europe's second juvenile black-type contest of the year. The Auvergne track's highlight is the five-furlong Listed Haras de Beaumont-Prix des Reves d'Or-Jacques Bouchara, which has attracted seven fillies and features Craig Bernick and Haras d'Etreham's TDN Rising Star Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never). Out again quickly for Francis-Henri Graffard following her deeply impressive debut effort over six furlongs at Chantilly earlier in the month, the half-sister to the dual Group 1 hero Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) descends from the great Urban Sea (Miswaki) so this drop back in trip is revealing. She encounters Amo Racing's similarly unbeaten Redcar novice winner Komat (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), more of a dyed-in-the-wool sprinting type from the Dominic Ffrench Davis stable.

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TDN Rising Star Badge For Sea The Stars Filly

One of Newmarket's Spring talking horses, Oaks entry Infinite Cosmos (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}–Waila {GB}, by Notnowcato {GB}) duly opened her account with comfort in the 10-furlong Nyetimber Maiden Fillies' S. on QIPCO Guineas Friday to become her sire's 17th TDN Rising Star. Representing the longstanding Rothschild-Sir Michael Stoute connection, the relative of Sea The Stars' high-class Crystal Ocean (GB) had been second to the subsequent G3 Prix Penelope runner-up Sea Of Roses (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) in a Doncaster maiden in October and started as the 8-11 favourite with Ryan Moore engaged to give connections the lowdown.

Racing prominently, the homebred had the measure of long-time leader Therapist (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}) passing two out and found her feet on the climb to the line to score by 4 1/4 lengths from Strong Impact (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who denied Therapist by a neck. Stoute was keeping a lid on things, despite some bookmakers promoting her to favourite for the Epsom Classic. “I didn't think she was impressive there, only workmanlike, but she is still learning on the job,” he said. “We'll run her in a trial and make a decision after that, but I don't think she's going to be sparkly at this stage of her career–she needs to grow up and is taking time to learn. She may be impervious to ground conditions.”

Infinite Cosmos has some big shoes to fill, with her sire's impressive TDN Rising Star haul including Crystal Ocean himself, as well as the star fillies Emily Upjohn (GB) and Star Catcher (GB) and the G1 Deutsches Derby-winning sire Sea The Moon (Ger). She is the fourth foal out of Waila, who was also under Ryan Moore when recording a career-best 10-length success in the 12-furlong Listed Aphrodite S. on the July Course here 10 years ago and who was third in the G3 Lillie Langtry S.

Waila, who was sold to BBA Ireland for 550,000gns at the most recent Tatts December Sale, also has a yearling full-sister to the winner who was also purchased at that auction for 400,000gns by McKeever Bloodstock for Ballyhimikin as part of Southcourt Stud's partial dispersal. She is a daughter of Crystal Cavern (Be My Guest), a half to the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Rose Gypsy (GB) (Green Desert) whose daughter Crystal Star (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) captured the Listed Radley S. and was second in the G3 Fred Darling S.

Before her death in 2015, Crystal Star proved a rich font of successful runners for Southcourt Stud, producing four black-type performers beginning with Crystal Capella (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) who captured two renewals of the G2 Pride S. as well as the G2 Princess Of Wales's S. and G3 Middleton S. Her next big-time personality was the GI Canadian International and G2 King Edward VII S. scorer Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), before Crystal Ocean arrived on the scene with wins in the G1 Prince of Wales's S. and G2 Hardwicke S. and five other group races and five second placings at the highest level including two in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S.

7th-Newmarket, £15,000, Mdn, 5-5, 3yo, f, 10fT, 2:07.29, gd.
INFINITE COSMOS (IRE), f, 3, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
     1st Dam: Waila (GB) (SW & GSP-Eng), by Notnowcato (GB)
     2nd Dam: Crystal Cavern, by Be My Guest
     3rd Dam: Krisalya (GB), by Kris (GB)
Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $12,121. O-Exors of the late Sir E D Rothschild; B-South Court Stud (IRE); T-Sir Michael Stoute. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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