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ARREST may have failed to read the script in the Derby at Epsom last weekend, but it wasn’t a bad couple of days for Frankie Dettori at the Surrey track with the soon to be retiring Italian winning on his other three rides.
Soul Sister breezed past Savethelastdance with over a furlong to run before providing the 52-year-old with his seventh win in the Oaks.
The Frankel filly had looked a class act when running away with the Musidora Stakes at York, here her stamina stretched to 12 furlongs having been patiently ridden early on.
Blessed with a telling turn of foot, she will be equally at home reverting back to 10 furlongs with the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood (August 3rd) an option later on.
A length and three quarters in front of Aidan O’Brien’s runner-up, the sectionals are quite telling. Soul Sister ran the last four furlongs in 11.58, 11.45, 11.68 and 12.69 seconds, while Savethelastdance took 11.89, 11.67, 11.89 and 12.70 seconds.
Stamina is her strong suit and she wasn’t stopping at Epsom.
The Ballydoyle filly outstayed Caernarfon for second but couldn’t match the winner’s change of speed on drying ground. If they reoppose in the Irish version at the Curragh, don’t be surprised to see a stronger early pace being set by pacemakers from the O’Brien camp in an attempt to draw the sting out of Soul Sister.
Otherwise, testing ground is the only other scenario which may see the runner-up turning the tables.
The St Leger may prove to be Savethelastdance’s best chance of classic glory – stamina is her strong suit and she wasn’t stopping at Epsom.
Superb reappearance
Soul Sister wasn’t the only top-class filly Dettori steered to victory on Friday with Emily Upjohn making a superb reappearance in the Coronation Cup.
A luckless second in the Oaks 364 days earlier, the daughter of Sea The Stars gained a richly deserved Group 1 win at Ascot last backend and couldn’t have started her four-year-old career much better as she readily brushed aside three previous Group 1 winners, and becoming the first filly to win the race since 1991.
Sweeping to the front with two furlongs to run, she laid to rest the nightmare of 12 months ago with a near two lengths victory and setting up a tilt at more big summer and autumn prizes.
John Gosden has won four of the last 11 renewals of the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, including with the brilliant Enable in 2019, and the stiff 10 furlongs at the Esher venue won’t be an issue.
If anyone is in any doubt, I suggest watching a rerun of last year’s Musidora Stakes.
THE in-form Ralph Beckett will have taken plenty of satisfaction from providing Frankie Dettori with his final winner at Epsom after Prosperous Voyage came from last to first in the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes on the Saturday.
The Hampshire trainer must have also been pleased with the performances of Westover and Artistic Star in the Coronation Cup and Derby respectively.
Last year’s Irish Derby winner couldn’t match Emily Upjohn’s lightning turn of speed as Dettori outmanoeuvred Rob Hornby in the homestraight before registering a length and three quarters win.
However, the runner-up was staying on again at the finish – covering the last furlong in 11.87 seconds compared to the Gosden trained winner’s 12.06 – suggesting a step up in trip wouldn’t go amiss.
Tailormade
Given his effectiveness with some ease underfoot, Westover looks tailormade for the Irish St Leger at a track where he produced a career best effort last June and there is every possibility his stamina will stretch further.
A running-on sixth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on bottomless ground last autumn, Westover wouldn’t look out of place in the Group 1 Prix Royal Oak at the Paris track (October 29th). Beckett won that Group 1 prize, which is just shy of two miles, in 2021 with the ill-fated Scope.
ARTISTIC Star never threatened Auguste Rodin and co in the Derby, but it was always going to be a tough day at the office for the Galileo colt who arrived at Epsom on the back of maiden/novice wins at Nottingham and Sandown (beat subsequent impressive Epsom winner Torito), the latter of which was only 18 days previously.
However, the Jeff Smith-owned runner was far from disgraced in seventh, keeping on completing the last three furlongs in 34.08 seconds, which was quicker than Sprewell (4th), The Foxes (5th) and Waipiro (6th).
A half-brother to Jessica Harrington’s Group 3 winner Forbearance, his jockey Rob Hornby remarked afterwards: “To see Artistic Star finish off the way he did was really pleasing as it showed he can compete at this level on a conventional track. He will stay a mile six and we can do that later on in the year, but for now we will stay at a mile and a half.”
Leger agenda
Those comments alone suggest the English St Leger may be on the thrice-raced colt’s agenda – a race Beckett won in 2015 with Simple Verse and Haskoy crossed the line in second last year before being demoted.
Artistic Star is barely three years old, having been foaled on May 27th, and should have a lot more to offer.
The Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August is a possible target en route to Town Moor and it is worth remembering Eldar Eldarov won a mile maiden at Nottingham on his only juvenile start before landing Britain’s oldest classic less than a year later. The 33/1 on offer is tempting.
AMONGST Richard Fahey’s 10 Royal Ascot winners are three juvenile successes. The Musley Bank two-year-olds have been in terrific form in recent weeks with six victories between May 22nd and June 2nd.
These include first time out winners Malc, Native American, Pretty Crystal, Emperor’s Son and Flaccianello. While York scorer Native American is unlikely to travel to Berkshire later this month, the remainder are pencilled in for the Royal meeting.
Emperor’s Son is of particular interest with either the Coventry Stakes (June 20th) on the opening afternoon or the Norfolk Stakes 24 hours later under consideration.
Fahey has won the last two renewals of the latter contest thanks to Perfect Power (2021) and The Ridler (2022).
Bred by Tally Ho Stud, the Kodiac colt headed to Carlisle at the beginning of the month and, despite facing the well-regarded Kylian and receiving a hefty bump when leaving the stalls, he emerged with his lofty reputation in tact with a cosy neck victory.
The front two pulled a handful of lengths clear of the third who had previously chased home the subsequent Listed Marygate Stakes winner Got To Love A Grey at Nottingham.
Underestimating
Given his relatively narrow win, the bookmakers are perhaps underestimating Emperor’s Son for the Royal fixture quoting him at 33/1 for the Coventry Stakes and 25/1 for the Norfolk Stakes. But then again, The Ridler was 50/1 when scoring last summer.
Stablemate Golden Mind may not have won at the first time of asking but the son of Galileo Gold made no mistake next time when leading close home at Leicester at the end of May.
A half-brother to the aforementioned Group 1-winning stablemate Perfect Power, he had shaped encouragingly on his debut at Hamilton before getting the better of the Amo Racing-owned Fusterlandia by a neck over six furlongs.
Completing the last furlong in 12.66 compared to 13.03 from the runner-up, he is out of a 10-furlong winner and is crying out for further.
The extra furlong in the Chesham Stakes (June 24th) on the final day of Royal Ascot will be right up his street.
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