By Tom Frary
In scenes reminiscent of Wednesday's Listed Cheshire Oaks, Saturday's Listed Oaks Trial Fillies' S. at Lingfield resulted in a Ralph Beckett-trained filly getting to the line ahead of a Ballydoyle runner with You Got To Me (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}–Brushing {GB}, by Medicean {GB}) on top where it mattered. Last seen finishing fifth in Newmarket's Listed Montrose Fillies' S. in November, Valmont and Newsells Park Stud's 200,000gns Tattersalls Book 1 purchase set off at a demanding clip under Hector Crouch while her rivals were under restraint waiting for her to crack. Helped by her athleticism as she descended to the home turn, the 7-2 shot kept finding as the remainder closed in and found the line half a length ahead of Aidan O'Brien's representative Rubies Are Red (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was the strongest of the closers.
“It wasn't deliberate to go quite that quick, she's a horse that likes to get on with things and if you get in an argument with her she's 10 times worse,” Crouch explained. “You have to let her be her and it worked out nicely. I was out of control until the first bend, then she had a look at the hill and backed off for me. She did everything very nicely from the six to the three, then she was very game in the finish. She came down the hill beautifully. She's a very big horse, but she's beautifully balanced. She's always done good work at home, we expected her to win first time and she just a bit weak at the backend last year.”
Beckett, whose 2008 runner-up Look Here (GB) (Hernando {Fr}) went on to Oaks glory, now has two to take back to Epsom following Wednesday's win of Forest Fairy (Ire) (Waldgeist {GB}). “It was a terrific effort from the horse and jockey,” he said. “It was important not to get in her way, she's a filly that needs to get into a rhythm and she's not a filly who likes being ordered around. Hector obviously knows her well and rides the track particularly well and it all came together. I was pretty sure we'd handle the track, it was just whether she was good enough.”
Rubies Are Red was a major eyecatcher and Coolmore's UK representative Kevin Buckley said of the full-sister to Found, “Ryan said he couldn't get her going down the hill, which meant he had extra ground to make up. But it was a new experience for her and we would be happy with that.”
John Gosden said of Danielle, “I was pleased with that, although it got a little lively in the straight. She came down the hill fine, I would say we would be looking for a little juice in the ground going forward.” The King and Queen's Treasure (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), another for the Beckett yard, was also on the premises at the end and jockey Rossa Ryan said of her, “I was very pleased with my filly, time will tell that she's the one to take out of the race.”
The Listed Galtres S.-winning dam hails from the family of the GII Bay Meadows H. winner Wait Till Monday (Ire) (Maelstrom lake {Ire}), the G3 C L Weld Park S. winner Token Gesture (Ire) (Alzao)–who is in turn the dam of the GI Canadian International hero Relaxed Gesture (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire})–and the GII All American Derby winner Evolving Tactics (Ire) (Machiavellian). Her yearling filly is by Time Test (GB).
What a race!
Front-running You Got To Me scores William Hill Oaks Trial Fillies' Stakes at @LingfieldPark for @HectorCrouch and @RalphBeckett… pic.twitter.com/hu25PnYbcw
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 11, 2024
Saturday, Lingfield, Britain
WILLIAM HILL OAKS TRIAL FILLIES' S.-Listed, £60,000, Lingfield, 5-11, 3yo, f, 11f 133yT, 2:26.25, gd.
1–YOU GOT TO ME (GB), 128, f, 3, by Nathaniel (Ire)
1st Dam: Brushing (GB) (SW-Eng), by Medicean (GB)
2nd Dam: Seasonal Blossom (Ire), by Fairy King
3rd Dam: Temporary Lull, by Super Concorde
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (62,000gns Wlg '21 TADEWE; 200,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Valmont & Newsells Park Stud Bldstk.24; B-Dullingham Park Stud & Sarabex (GB); T-Ralph Beckett; J-Hector Crouch. £34,488. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $49,143.
2–Rubies Are Red (Ire), 128, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Red Evie (Ire), by Intikhab. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-D Smith, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor, Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £13,086.
3–Danielle (GB), 128, f, 3, Cracksman (GB)–Crimson Ribbon, by Lemon Drop Kid. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-A E Oppenheimer; B-Hascombe & Valiant Stud Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £6,546.
Margins: HF, 1, HD. Odds: 3.50, 3.33, 2.00.
Also Ran: Treasure (GB), Molten Rock (Ire), Bigtime Bridget (GB), Cherry Burton (GB).
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