Group 1-Placed Novakai Pleasing Burke Ahead Of Diane Bid

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Group 1-placed Novakai (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is in good order ahead of a run in the G1 Prix de Diane later this month, trainer Karl Burke revealed on Saturday.

A debut winner at Doncaster, she was second in the G2 May Hill S. two starts later back at that venue in September and ended her year with another second-place effort, this time in the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket a month later. She made her 2023 in the G3 Musidora S. at York last month, and once again found one too good in subsequent G1 Betfred Oaks heroine Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

“She's on target for Prix de Diane, she looks in great shape,” said Burke, who won the 2018 edition with Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). “She's not a particularly strong work horse at home, but she does look in good form and we're very happy with her.

“The Musidora form obviously got a nice boost and she'll step up on that York form as well.”

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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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Muhaarar’s Polly Pott In May Hill Upset

There was a surprise in store in Thursday's G2 Cazoo May Hill S. at Doncaster as The Megsons' 21,000gns Book 2 bargain Polly Pott (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) registered a 40-1 success for the soon-to-be-retired Harry Dunlop. In an outcome almost scripted by the racing gods, the winner of nurseries at Nottingham and Salisbury last month burst some bubbles as she swooped from rear under Danny Tudhope. Taking the measure of Novakai (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) from the furlong pole, the bay readily asserted to upstage that rival by 1 1/2 lengths, with another outsider Perfect Prophet (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) outrunning her odds of 50-1 in third, three lengths away. The 5-4 favourite Dance In The Grass (GB) (Cracksman {GB}) was only seventh.

 

Dunlop, who is the most notable of those recently announcing their departure from the training ranks, has enjoyed a purple patch since his shock announcement with the useful filly Adaay In Asia (GB) (Adaay {Ire}) winning at the Goodwood and Ebor festivals and at the Shergar Cup. “What this filly has is she's tough and hardy,” the son of the late legend John said. “It's surreal really. I've only got 12 horses and they're running well. We're lucky enough to have horses like this and it's very hard when you haven't got them, but you've got to enjoy them when you do get one. She cost 21,000 guineas and you're taking on these smartly-bred fillies that cost half a million. I think Ben Pauling is going to train her next year. Wherever she goes, I think she'll be a tough cookie and will probably stay a mile and a half I would think.”

Starting her career masquerading as a sprinter, Polly Pott was beaten into seventh on debut at Newbury May 31 and fourth at Lingfield June 13 before taking a Bath maiden over five furlongs and 160 yards on ground officially described as firm at the venue famed for its lack of a watering system July 12. Upped almost three furlongs for her first nursery at Nottingham Aug. 4, the bay made light work of the contrasting examination before coming back 15 days later to double up at Salisbury. Relishing the easier surface here, she could be called the winner some way out with no hint of fluke.

“She has got better and better, but I didn't expect that,” Dunlop added. “She's rated 75, this is a group two and she's won four on the bounce now, so it's fantastic. We've got to run her in a group one now, I suppose. Maybe the Fillies' Mile, why not? I'm really pleased for all my team at home. Obviously in my personal circumstances it's a great sending off and I think someone is looking down–it's quite emotional.”

The winner's dam Must Be Me (GB) (Trade Fair {GB}), whose daughter of Showcasing (GB) was a prescient £60,000 purchase by Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock at last month's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, hails from a classy family with her dam being the listed-placed Roodeye (GB) (Inchinor {GB}). Among the progeny of Roodeye, who is a half to the G1 Prix Morny runner-up Gallagher (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}), is Showcasing's star miler Mohaather (GB), Shadwell's hero of the G1 Sussex S., G2 Summer Mile and G3 Greenham S.

Roodeye also produced Prize Exhibit (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who captured the GII Monrovia S. and GII San Clemente H. and was third in the GI Del Mar Oaks before throwing Ballydoyle's 2.8million gns Book 1 sensation History (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who took this year's G3 Cornelscourt S. Roodeye's daughter Roodle (GB) (Xaar {GB}) staked her own claim to fame when producing the G1 Queen Anne S. hero Accidental Agent (GB) (Delegator {GB}) and the Listed Hyde S. scorer Madame Tantzy (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}).

Thursday, Doncaster, Britain
CAZOO MAY HILL S.-G2, £120,000, Doncaster, 9-8, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:38.34, g/s.
1–POLLY POTT (GB), 128, f, 2, by Muhaarar (GB)
     1st Dam: Must Be Me (GB), by Trade Fair (GB)
     2nd Dam: Roodeye (GB), by Inchinor (GB)
     3rd Dam: Roo (GB), by Rudimentary
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. (21,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-The Megsons; B-Biddestone Stud Ltd (GB); T-Harry Dunlop; J-Danny Tudhope. £68,052. Lifetime Record: 6-4-0-0, $93,662. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Novakai (GB), 128, f, 2, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Elasia (GB), by Nathaniel (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum (GB); T-Karl Burke. £25,800.
3–Perfect Prophet (GB), 128, f, 2, Nathaniel (Ire)–Perfect Lady (GB), by Excelebration (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (20,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Mildmay Racing & Aura (Gas) Holdings Ltd; B-Mildmay Bloodstock & Mr D H Caslon (GB); T-Ed Walker. £12,912.
Margins: 1HF, 3, 1HF. Odds: 40.00, 4.50, 50.00.
Also Ran: Cell Sa Beela (GB), Ferrari Queen (Ire), Mottisfont (Ire), Dance In The Grass (GB), Frankness (GB). Scratched: Crystallium (GB), Dubai Jemila (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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