By Tom Frary
Juddmonte's Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}–Red Impression {GB}, by Dark Angel {Ire}) had already shown that she is a top-drawer prospect with impressive late fractions on her seven-furlong Curragh debut last month and merely confirmed that with another scintillating performance to become her sire's 42nd TDN Rising Star on Sunday. Narrowly denied by Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) when storming home late on her racecourse bow, the Ger Lyons-trained homebred was sent straight to the lead this time by Colin Keane. Never in any danger with her armoury of speed such a dramatic weapon, the relative of the G1 Prix de la Foret heroine Etoile Montante (Miswaki) powered through the last half mile with consistent 11-and-change sectionals.
At the line, the 8-11 favourite had 4 1/4 lengths to spare over the 50-1 shot Indigo Dream (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), who interestingly had been nine lengths behind the pick of the 2-year-old TDN Rising Stars in Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) at Leopardstown on her debut. Ballydoyle's beautifully-bred Ballet Slippers (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the first foal out of Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), fared best of the newcomers a head away in third.
“It was no more than you would probably have expected from her after seeing her on debut,” Lyons said of Frankel's fifth TDN Rising Star of 2024 alongside the aforementioned Bedtime Story and Lake Victoria as well as Gun of Brixton (Fr) and the G3 Prix du Lys winner and G1 Grand Prix de Paris third Delius (GB). “She stepped forward nicely and you'd expect her to win her maiden that way, so we're delighted with her.”
“We'll see how she comes out of it before making any plans, as I don't think she's a 2-year-old and it's all about next year with her,” the trainer added. “We'll let her tell me what we do with her, whether we bring her back–I'll tell Barry [Mahon] what I'm seeing at home and discuss with the [Adbullah] family about whether we come back for the [G1] Moyglare or something like that. She's done a lot quick, we are only in the middle of July and I thought I'd seen in the parade ring that she's very much on the leg. She looked raw going down to the start and it's pure raw ability what you are seeing out there.”
Signed, sealed, delivered.
The exciting Red Letter (Frankel) strikes from a host of well-bred newcomers and looks a filly to note for Ger Lyons, @ctkjockey and @JuddmonteFarms at @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/iquxYgPMYF
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 21, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Connections of Red Letter will be hoping that their filly matches up to the sire's past TDN Rising Star luminaries Ylang Ylang (GB), Nashwa (GB), Onesto (Ire), Homeless Songs (Ire), Snow Lantern (GB), Quadrilateral (GB) and Veracious (GB). She is the first foal out of the listed-placed dam, a granddaughter of Wilstar (Nureyev) whose three stakes performers are headed by the aforementioned Foret heroine Etoile Montante. Also successful in the GII Palomar Breeders' Cup Handicap and GIII Las Cienegas Handicap during her spell Stateside, she is in turn the dam of the four-times group and graded-stakes winner and stakes producer Starformer (Dynaformer).
Wilstar, who is also the second dam of the GI Derby City Distaff Stakes winner Obligatory (Curlin) and the third dam of the G1 Dubai World Cup and GI Hollywood Gold Cup hero Country Grammer (Tonalist), is a full-sister to the listed scorer Viviana who produced the seven-times grade I-winning Sightseek (Distant View) and the GI Yellow Ribbon Stakes winner Tates Creek (Rahy). Red Impression's yearling colt and filly foal are also by Frankel.
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