Epsom: Can Soul Sister Be Frankie’s Last Dance?

It still seems hard to imagine, given how long he has been omnipresent in British racing, but Friday's G1 Betfred Oaks will mark the penultimate Epsom Classic experience in the saddle for Frankie Dettori. It may also prove his best chance of going out in a blaze of glory, as Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) looks the more likely of his Friday and Saturday mounts to conjure that soon-to-be-missed flying dismount. Carrying the “Sariska” silks of Lady Bamford, the homebred left no one in any doubt that she is a top-class prospect when making a mockery of inflated odds in York's G3 Musidora S. last month.

“I was impressed because the filly quickened nicely and clocked a good time,” he said. I hope the trip won't be a problem, all the signs are good. She settled well and she finished the race strongly at York, so I believe that it will not be an issue. You don't really know until you try, but I think she will be fine.”

The Lion's Share

While Frankie prepares to bid farewell, Oisin Murphy is hoping his career can enjoy the same longevity and as far as the Oaks is concerned it is time to catch up with the outgoing legend on six wins in this Classic. David Howden's Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion) is taking the Ouija Board (GB) and Taghrooda (GB) route to this Classic, having won Newmarket's Listed Pretty Polly S. with a deal of authority. As nine of the last 10 renewals have gone to either Aidan O'Brien or John Gosden, she is at least from the right stable and if she has the stamina for this will be a danger to all.

Grounds For Concern

While Aidan O'Brien is convinced that Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is not a soft-ground specialist, the Listed Cheshire Oaks winner has to prove she can reproduce the same kind of performance on the liveliest surface she has encountered to date on a track that will test her versatility to the full. Both the Gosdens' runners have no flaws in that respect, so Ryan Moore will have to make sure he is not as far adrift early as he was at Chester. Those with bigger uncertainty hovering over them include Godolphin's Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who despite her obvious talent has yet to race on turf, and a clutch of unproven stayers. They include the Hunscote Stud colourbearer Caernarfon (GB) (Cityscape {GB}), surprisingly the only member of the cast to bring 1000 Guineas form into the mix having been fourth in the Newmarket Classic. “We will be taking on well-touted fillies who have done very well in their Oaks trials, but they have got to step up in class and we've already been and proven that we can mix it at that sort of level,” trainer Jack Channon said. “We just hope that the extra distance will elevate her a couple of places.”

Westover Primed For Epsom Return

Few would not concede that with a clear run Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) would have been at least second in last year's Derby and probably would have shaken up the winner, so his reappearance on the famous Surrey Downs is to be welcomed in Friday's G1 DahlBury Coronation Cup. Juddmonte's homebred went on to show what he could do in the G1 Irish Derby before a mix of over-exuberance and the effects of a busy schedule took their toll in the King George, as they did for that race's other flop Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) who joins him again. As well as showcasing his own talent here, the Ralph Beckett-trained 4-year-old also puts the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic success of Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) back into focus.

“It was a big run in Dubai, he likes good ground, we know that now,” Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon said. “He's a big horse with a knee action and we thought he'd go on softer ground, but I think the Arc showed us he can go on it fine but he's better on fast ground, so hopefully we get that and he can run a big race.”

Tunnes Of Ability

Coronation Cups have been won by overseas raiders several times before and following the exploits of his half-brother Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), Holger Renz's Tunnes (Ger) (Guiliani {Ire}) is not one to be taken lightly. His 10-length victory in the G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern in November stands up to inspection and trainer Peter Schiergen is hoping this will lead to the Ascot feature in July in which his half-sibling was second. “If he runs well, we might plan to run him in the King George,” he said.

Big Sigh Of Relief

Thursday saw a final field of 11 declared for Sunday's €1.5-million G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, with good news for connections of likely favourite Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) as Yeguada Centurion's homebred sensation was drawn in two. Jaber Abdullah's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) is in four, while TDN Rising Star and supplementary entry Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}) has been allocated stall six.

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Epsom: Savethelastdance Readied For Oaks Bid

Aidan O'Brien has the key member of the G1 Betfred Oaks again as the certain favourite Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) drew stall four for the Epsom Classic, which will have 11 starters on Friday. Taking out a trio at Wednesday's final stage including the Listed Haras De Bouquetot Fillies' Trial S. scorer Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the Ballydoyle handler left the smart duo Be Happy (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Red Riding Hood (Ire) (Justify) in support of the impressive Listed Cheshire Oaks winner. “You don't take anything for granted, it's a different track and different ground so it's going to be very interesting for us all, O'Brien said of the filly who dazzled in the mud at Chester. “She'll be leaving this evening and that's gone fine, so we hope everything goes well between now and the race.”

“It's going to be very exciting to see what she does do,” he added. “When you go up in distance there are a lot of different things that can happen. If you looked at her pedigree, you'd say 'definitely not soft ground', but she bends her knee a little bit and she rises her feet which helped her to handle it. It's going to be very interesting to see how she fares on totally different ground. She just kept accelerating at Chester and I think that makes it unusual, so we're looking forward to the Oaks the same as everyone else.”

O'Brien's Epsom record suggests the outsiders have to be taken seriously, especially with both the remaining entries having placed in pattern races. “Red Riding Hood will take her time, she has blinkers on her and she doesn't concentrate much when she gets to the front,” he continued. “Be Happy ran well at Lingfield and we were very happy with that run, the pace was a bit slower than we would have liked for her but we've been very happy with her since then.”

 

Not On Her Dance Card…
Wednesday's other notable withdrawal was Jaber Abdullah's Dance In The Grass (GB) (Cracksman {GB}) from the Charlie Johnston stable, leaving the opposition to Savethelastdance headed by Lady Bamford's G3 Musidora S. winner Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) who has drawn the “lucky” stall 10 as Frankie Dettori's final Oaks ride. Fellow John and Thady Gosden-trained Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion) is in the largely-unfavourable stall two, with the inside draw considered a major hindrance even allowing for the recent Epsom performances of Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

 

Quality Quintet For Coronation Cup…
Friday's G1 Dahlbury Coronation Cup looks a high-class affair, with the quintet including Juddmonte's G1 Irish Derby hero Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and the fellow group 1 winners Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Aidan O'Brien looks to TDN Rising Star Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who has captured the G3 Alleged S. and G2 Huxley S. in two 4-year-old starts. “We think a mile and a half will suit him well and we knew a mile and a quarter would be tight for him around Chester last time, but we wanted to run him there to try and sharpen him up,” he explained. “He went there to learn about going quicker on a left-handed track and we think it worked. From day one, he's looked like a horse who's crying out to go this kind of a trip.”

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Savethelastdance Heads 11 For The Oaks

Eleven fillies will line up for Friday's G1 Betfred Oaks as Aidan O'Brien trimmed his numbers to three for the Epsom Classic including the certain favourite Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Other than the trio taken out by the Ballydoyle handler which include the Listed Haras De Bouquetot Fillies' Trial S. scorer Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the other notable withdrawal was Dance In The Grass (GB) (Cracksman {GB}) from the Charlie Johnston stable. Heading the opposition to the Listed Cheshire Oaks winner Savethelastdance, who as expected will have the assistance of Ryan Moore from stall four, is Lady Bamford's G3 Musidora S. winner Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) who has drawn the “lucky” stall 10 under Frankie Dettori on his last Oaks ride. Fellow John and Thady Gosden-trained Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion) is in the largely-unfavourable stall two. In the card's G1 Dahlbury Coronation Cup, a high-class quintet include Juddmonte's G1 Irish Derby hero Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and the fellow group 1 winners Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

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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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