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Emily Upjohn Trounces Musidora Rivals

John and Thady Gosden's team has yet to reach the giddy heights of Charlie Appleby and Aidan O'Brien this term, but TDN Rising Star Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}–Hidden Brief {GB} {SP-Fr}, by Barathea {Ire}) provided the Clarehaven stable with hopes of Classic glory after another impressive display in Wednesday's G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York. The 60,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling had opened up with a narrow victory in her Nov. 23 unveiling at Wolverhampton before earning this publication's seal of approval with a 9 1/2-length demolition in a 10-furlong Sandown novices' heat on seasonal return last month. Sent off as the odds-on favourite for this black-type debut, she was a shade keen through the early strides until finding a smooth rhythm in second as Team Valor and Steven Rocco's Luna Dorada (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) led the way at a solid clip. Looming large in the straight, the 4-7 pick was in control passing the quarter-mile marker and powered clear thereafter to easily account for Godolphin's running-on Life of Dreams (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) by 5 1/2 lengths. Kirsten Rausing's David Simcock trainee Ching Shih (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), a daughter of 2014 heroine Madame Chiang (GB) (Archipenko), was next best and two lengths further adrift in third.

“She was keen early on, but she's in control and you want her like that,” explained Frankie Dettori after claiming an outright record of six winners in the contest. “The ground is a lot deeper than you guys think and everybody was struggling from four furlongs out. I kept her together and, from two-and-a-half to the winning post, I didn't see another horse. She won in good style by 5 1/2 lengths and what more do you want? We never had any worries about staying a mile-and-a-half. She's getting there, Enable won at Chester and at this stage she was probably on the same par. With every race this filly is improving, we've liked her since day one and I'm delighted. We can sleep nicely tonight.”

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John Gosden, moving up to within two of Sir Henry Cecil's race-record nine editions, added, “It's interesting that Frankie said the ground was quite tiring after the little bit of rain they've had on it. A few of them were struggling four or five out. Frankie waited to go and she's picked up well and looked like a mile-and-a-half would be right up her alley. She couldn't have done it any better really. She was saddled in the stables at Sandown and saddled in the stables at Wolverhampton, so it's the first time she's been saddled in front of a crowd today. She got a bit edgy, but I think she settled after a furlong and found a lovely rhythm, which is what it's all about. She's very well balanced, but there's no reason we won't get some sausage and bacon on the [May 23] breakfast morning at Epsom. We can have a canter round the track there to see how she handles it. She's a lovely filly, and well-balanced with a good stride, and she's learnt a lot today. We've been lucky to win the Oaks three times and she very much deserves to be in that league.”

Reflecting on the performance of Life of Dreams, Charlie Appleby's assistant Alex Merriam said, “We were pleased, that was only her second run and I think she's run into a very nice horse. We'll see how she is and hope things go to plan. The Oaks might still be a possibility, but I haven't spoken to Charlie yet. She'd either run there or the [G2] Ribblesdale [at Royal Ascot]. Charlie will speak to His Highness [Sheikh Mohammed] and we'll see how we go.”

Ching Shih's trainer David Simcock is disinclined to go for a rematch with the winner in next month's G1 Cazoo Oaks. “Obviously the winner is pretty smart and it doesn't take a genius to work that out,” he commented. “I said, before the race, they were just five novice winners and they were all in the same boat. The winner looks exceptional, but our filly has acquitted herself well. She was the only one out of the first four not to have had a run [this year] and she'll come forward for it. I think, when she gets her mother's [preferred soft] ground, she'll improve for it as it will actually make her quicker, if that doesn't sound stupid. I don't know where she will go, but it won't be Epsom, unless the winner scares everything off.”

Emily Upjohn, half to a yearling filly by Capella Sansevero (GB), is the sixth of seven foals and one of three scorers out of Listed Prix Petite Etoile third Hidden Brief (GB) (Barathea {Ire}). Her dam is a full-sister to GSW G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks placegetter Hazarista (Ire) and a half to the stakes-winning dam of G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Irish Derby-winning sire Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Descendants of the March-foaled bay's second dam Hazaradjat (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) include G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares victrix Seal of Approval (GB) (Authorized {Ire}), whose 3-year-old daughter Royal Scandal (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) made a successful debut at Newcastle on Tuesday, and last term's G1 Irish Derby, G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 St Leger hero Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

Wednesday, York, Britain
TATTERSALLS MUSIDORA S.-G3, £125,000, York, 5-11, 3yo, f, 10f 56yT, 2:10.86, gd.
1–EMILY UPJOHN (GB), 128, f, 3, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Hidden Brief (GB) (SP-Fr), by Barathea (Ire)
2nd Dam: Hazaradjat (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Hazy Idea, by Hethersett (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (60,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Tactful Finance & S Roden; B-Lordship Stud & Sunderland Holding Inc (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £70,888. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $100,110. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Life of Dreams (GB), 128, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Endless Time (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £26,875.
3–Ching Shih (Ire), 128, f, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Madame Chiang (GB), by Archipenko. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Kirsten Rausing (IRE); T-David Simcock. £13,450.
Margins: 5HF, 2, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.57, 2.75, 28.00.
Also Ran: The Algarve, Luna Dorada (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Night of Thunder’s Highfield Princess Lights Up York

Unexposed over six furlongs, Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night of Thunder {Ire}–Pure Illusion {Ire}, by Danehill) stormed on to the sprinting scene with an emphatic success in Wednesday's G2 1895 Duke of York Clipper Logistics S. Trading strides with the ultimately-disappointing Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) until after halfway, the John Quinn-trained mare who was race-hardened after four outings so far this year put that 11-4 joint-favourite to bed soon after. Despite drifting left, the 11-2 shot was still able to hand Spycatcher (Ire) (Vadamos {Fr}) a 2 3/4-length beating, with the other joint-favourite Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) a further length away in third. “I don't know how the boss does it, but he seems to get horses to progress throughout their careers,” jockey Jason Hart said. “I had her in a lovely rhythm, then at halfway she lit up but when I pressed the button I couldn't believe how well she quickened up.”

Unraced at two, Highfield Princess had well and truly made up for the lost time by the time she entered Royal Ascot's Buckingham Palace H. last June with 14 runs under her belt. Powering to success at 18-1 in that seven-furlong contest, the bay was sent black-type hunting over that trip and responded with a string of solid efforts including a win in the Listed Queen Charlotte Fillies' S. on Chelmsford's Polytrack in July and a second to the high-class Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G2 City of York S. at this venue's Ebor festival in August. Her only two runs at shorter resulted in a sixth in the G1 QPICO British Champions Sprint S. and a second in a five-furlong conditions event on Wolverhampton's Tapeta Mar. 19, after which she had returned to seven to win Newcastle's All-Weather Fillies' and Mares' Championships Conditions S. Apr. 15.

John Quinn, who was en route to the Arqana Sales as the race was playing out, now has his sights set on the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. at the Royal meeting at which she broke through last term. “I think we'll probably wait now until the six-furlong race at Ascot, that's the obvious next race for her,” he said. “What has been really pleasing to see of late is that if anything she's getting quicker, they were never going too quick for her there.”

She may not be re-opposed in the June 18 feature by the second, with Karl Burke saying of the improved Spycatcher, “He is actually in the group two at the Curragh on Sunday week [the Greenlands], but I'd imagine that will come too quick and will be a very hot race. We're not entered at Royal Ascot and I think the ground would be the key to him really with his feet–a bit of juice in the ground is perfect.” Owen Burrows said of Minzaal, “The winner drifted away from him, so he didn't have anything then to take him into the race. He's having a nice blow and I'm sure he'll come forward plenty from that. Like everybody we've been waiting to get some serious work in on the grass, so hopefully the rain will allow for that and we can move forwards to Ascot.”

Highfield Princess, who is named after John Quinn's stable, is a half to the talented six-furlong performer Cardsharp (GB) (Lonhro {Aus}), who captured the G2 July S. and Listed Cathedral S. and was placed in the G1 Middle Park S., G2 Gimcrack S., G2 Richmond S. and G2 Norfolk S. The dam Pure Illusion (Ire) (Danehill) is a daughter of the G3 Princess Elizabeth S. scorer Saintly Speech (Southern Halo), who is also the second dam of the G3 Park Express S. and G3 C. L. Weld Park S. winner Chrysanthemum (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) whose son Cunco (Ire) was Frankel's first 2-year-old winner before going on to take the G3 Sandown Classic Trial. Pure Illusion's 2-year-old colt by Aclaim (Ire) is named Highfield Viking (GB).

Wednesday, York, Britain
1895 DUKE OF YORK CLIPPER LOGISTICS S.-G2, £140,000, York, 5-11, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:10.62, gd.
1–HIGHFIELD PRINCESS (FR), 133, m, 5, by Night of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Pure Illusion (Ire), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Saintly Speech, by Southern Halo
3rd Dam: Eloquent Minister, by Deputy Minister
1ST GROUP WIN. (29,000gns RNA Ylg '18 TATDEY). O/B-Trainers House Enterprises Ltd (FR); T-John Quinn; J-Jason Hart. £79,394. Lifetime Record: 26-9-5-5, $423,991. *1/2 to Cardsharp (GB) (Lonhro {Aus}), GSW & G1SP-Eng, $355,619. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Spycatcher (Ire), 136, c, 4, Vadamos (Fr)–Damask (Ire), by Red Clubs (Ire).
(90,000gns 2yo '20 TATBRE). O-Highclere T'BredRacing-Adriana Zaefferer; B-Tally Ho Stud (IRE); T-Karl Richard Burke. £30,100.
3–Minzaal (Ire), 136, c, 4, Mehmas (Ire)–Pardoven (Ire), by Clodovil (Ire).
(85,000gns Wlg '18 TATFOA; 140,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd; B-Ringfort Stud (IRE); T-Owen Burrows. £15,064.
Margins: 2 3/4, 1, 6. Odds: 5.50, 9.00, 2.75.
Also Ran: Garrus (Ire), Ejtilaab (Ire), Vadream (GB), Dragon Symbol (GB), Rohaan (Ire), Hurricane Ivor (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Rogue Millennium Will Be Supplemented to The Oaks

Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won the May 7 Listed SBK Oaks Trial Fillies' S., will be supplemented to the G1 Cazoo Oaks on June 3, trainer Tom Clover confirmed. The daughter of Group 3 winner Hawaafez (GB) (Nayef) was bred by the late Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Estate Company and the owners The Rogues Gallery will pay the £30,000 supplementary entry fee required to contest the Epsom Downs showpiece. The filly, purchased for only 35,000gns out of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2021, won at Wetherby on debut last month.

Clover said, “Rogue Millennium is a lovely filly that deserves her chance to be in the Oaks and it is now very much the plan to go to Epsom. We discussed it several times and both the owners and I are keen to go there.

“For any young trainer to have a horse like her bred by Sheikh Hamdan going for the Oaks is very special. Sheikh Hamdan is part of the sport's heritage and he had so many successes with my late father-in-law Michael Jarvis including winning the Oaks with Eswarah (GB) (Unfuwain) [in 2005].

“To have the chance to train a filly for the Oaks from the same place Sheikh Hamdan won the race with my late father-in-law Michael Jarvis is really exciting.

“I don't believe we are going there simply to have a runner but because we have a chance. I hope she can make both us and The Rogues Gallery team proud.”

Added Clover, “Having a runner in a Classic is something new to us and now the focus is on getting the filly there in the best possible shape we can. It is exciting but we just want a smooth run.”

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Bolger Sends ‘Safe Hands’ Prendergast a Filly to Train

Two legends of Irish racing will join forces for the first time this season after Jim Bolger revealed that he has a 2-year-old filly by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) in training with Kevin Prendergast.

Bolger gave €31,000 for the recently named Roman Moon (Ire) after Prendergast recommended the filly at the Goffs Orby Sale last September and she is set to break new ground by becoming his first runner with the Friarstown operator.

Roman Moon will carry the white and purple colours of Bolger's wife Jackie, once carried to major glories by Teofilo (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), New Approach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and more recently Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), when she hits the track this summer.

Speaking about the reasoning in sending the filly to the 89-year-old handler, Bolger told TDN Europe, “It was Kevin who suggested that we buy the filly and, when we did, we said that we would leave her with him knowing that she would be in safe hands.

“If I remember correctly, I was sitting beside Kevin when she walked into the ring and he told me that he was thinking of buying her on spec. Clare Manning [Bolger's granddaughter] also liked her and, when what she told me was confirmed by Kevin, I told her to go ahead and buy the filly.

“I decided there and then that, if Kevin was interested in training her for me, he could have her. She cost €35,000 so is qualified for all of those auction races and will carry Jackie's colours.”

Bolger added: “Kevin is very happy with her. You could say that Kevin is a victim of his age, and I suppose myself to a lesser extent, as not too many people want to send a man in his late 80s a racehorse. But, as far as Kevin is concerned, there are few better than him at his craft.”

Prendergast outlined his ambition to continue training “until the man upstairs calls it all to a halt” to the TDN Europe last week and Bolger's Roman Moon will form part of a 15-horse string.

Bolger's numbers are understood to be closer to 100 or more, the majority of which are owned by himself, with the wheels of his famous Coolcullen-based training establishment kept turning by the trainer's breeding arm of the operation.

It is a truly unique way of running things, with Bolger deriving just as much interest from breeding winners as he does in training them.

“One is dependent on the other but, as far as enjoyment is concerned, I suppose it would be 50-50. I have 80 broodmares and I would need 60-70 of those to go in foal every year in order to keep the wheel turning as I own 95% of the horses I train,” he explained.

“The majority of my mares will go to my own stallions but we use outside stallions as well. We could send up to 20 mares to outside stallions every year and the dam [Halla Na Saoire (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire})] of Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) has been covered by Mehmas (Ire). She also has a yearling by Make Believe (GB).”

Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), best known for getting the better of his stablemate Poetic Flare in a gripping Irish 2,000 Guineas last May, has been kept in training as a 4-year-old.

Just under 12 months on from that heroic display at the Curragh, Bolger recalls of how he wasn't best pleased to see his better-fancied Poetic Flare beaten but, any pain felt in the defeat soon disappeared when he realised he had the dam (Halla Na Saoire) standing out in the field.

“I was disappointed initially when Mac Swiney beat Poetic Flare in the Irish 2,000 Guineas last year but, when I realised that I had the dam of the winner standing out in a paddock, it made it a bit easier,” he said, before sharing details on some of stallions he supported this year.

“Along with Make Believe and Mehmas, we sent mares to Profitable (Ire), Blue Point (Ire) and Belardo (Ire). I sent 25 mares to Teofilo, about a dozen to New Approach and we supported Dawn Approach as well.”

Mac Swiney may be the best older horse Bolger has in training and is firmly on course to kick-start his 4-year-old campaign in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh later this month but the trainer has Classic aspirations for TDN Rising Star Wexford Native and Boundless Ocean.

He said, “Good ground will make a huge difference to Wexford Native (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and if we get good ground in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, he could go there. His proper trip will end up being 10f or 1m4f–he could stay the Irish Derby trip.”

Bolger added, “Boundless Ocean (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) was too keen [when 13th in the 2,000 Guineas] at Newmarket but we think we've got him settled at home now and will pick a race for him soon. He could go for the Irish 2000 Guineas but I would be in no rush to run the two of them against each other.”

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