By Tom Frary
Proving her stamina for 14 furlongs when winning Leopardstown's Listed Vinnie Roe S. Aug. 13, Scott Heider's Pista (American Pharoah) overcame inexperience to follow up in a competitive renewal of Doncaster's G2 bet365 Park Hill Fillies' S. on Thursday. Anchored in last early by William Buick, the 6-1 shot was delivered towards the stand's side to gain the lead in the final 100 yards and despite running away from the whip scored by 1 1/2 lengths from Vivionn (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), with the 11-8 favourite Believe In Love (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) half a length away in third. “She had a lovely profile coming in and I thought she did it well–she's a good, staying filly,” the winning rider said. “I thought the race was there for an improver to come through and she was that one horse. She was in a nice rhythm and is an uncomplicated filly.”
Pista was off the mark by 6 1/2 lengths over a mile and a half in soft ground at the Galway festival Aug. 2 before upstaging Saturday's G1 St Leger protagonists Sunchart (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Dawn Patrol (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Vinnie Roe. Trainer Joseph O'Brien could have a week to remember if Galileo Chrome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) can deliver in Saturday's main event. “I thought William gave her a great ride,” he said. “I was a little worried, because she was a little bit further back than we'd planned for most of the way and she ran around a bit in the straight, but she's got a big engine. She's a tall filly, so hopefully she'll progress next season. There's a nice fillies' race on Arc weekend [the G1 Prix de Royallieu] that might suit her now if she comes out of this well.”
Pista is the first foal out of the Niarchos-bred Mohini (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is a daughter of the operation's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Denebola (Storm Cat). Also runner-up in the G1 Prix de la Foret, she is the second dam of the G1 Prix de Diane winner Senga (Blame) and is a granddaughter of the famed G1 Prix Morny and G1 Prix de la Salamandre heroine Coup De Genie (Mr. Prospector). That links the winner to the high-class half-siblings Bago (Fr) (Nashwan) and Maxios (GB) (Monsun {Ger}), with seven group 1 wins between them and the former the 2004 European champion 3-year-old colt courtesy of his exploits in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, G1 Prix Jean Prat and G1 Grand Prix de Paris. Mohini's 2-year-old full-sister to the winner is named Ishtar (Jpn), while she also has a yearling filly by Kitasan Black (Jpn).
Thursday, Doncaster, Britain
BET365 PARK HILL FILLIES' S.-G2, £80,000, Doncaster, 9-10, 3yo/up, f/m, 14f 115yT, 3:05.91, gd.
1–PISTA, 121, f, 3, by American Pharoah
1st Dam: Mohini (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Denebola, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Coup de Genie, by Mr. Prospector
1ST GROUP WIN. ($675,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Scott Heider; B-Lynch Bages Ltd (KY); T-Joseph O'Brien; J-William Buick. £45,368. Lifetime Record: SW-Ire, 4-3-0-0, $95,474. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Vivionn (GB), 131, f, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Giants Play, by Giant's Causeway. (500,000gns RNA Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-Cheveley Park Stud; B-Newsells Park Stud (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £17,200.
3–Believe In Love (Ire), 121, f, 3, Make Believe (GB)–Topka (Fr), by Kahyasi (Ire). (42,000gns Wlg '17 TATFOA; 55,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Koji Maeda; B-Kenilworth House Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £8,608.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 1. Odds: 6.00, 6.00, 1.38.
Also Ran: Dubious Affair (Ire), Makawee (Ire), Snow (Ire), Monica Sheriff (GB). Scratched: Alpinista (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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