By Tom Frary
Long considered a project for this term by David Lanigan despite all that she achieved last summer, Saif Ali's Worth Waiting (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) got 2019 off to a flying start with a win over a nine-furlong trip thought shy of her optimum in Sunday's G2 Charm Spirit Dahlia S. at Newmarket. Last seen finishing fourth in the G1 Prix Vermeille over a mile and a half at ParisLongchamp in September, the bay stayed close to the pace-setting Nyaleti (Ire) (Arch) throughout the early stages before committing with 3 1/2 furlongs remaining. Maintaining a strong finishing effort all the way to the line, the 3-1 second favourite who also took the G3 Prix Minerve in August registered a length verdict over that rival, with last year's G1 1000 Guineas Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) again running way below that standard in third. The 5-4 favourite Veracious (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was only fourth, a nose further behind. “Mentally she's very stable and relaxed and has a temperament second to none,” rider by James Doyle said, referring to how she took a lengthy delay to the start in her stride as Rasima (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) needing re-shoeing. “Her form last year was over further than this, but she's got a high cruising speed and I wanted to use that stride.”
David Lanigan, who was enjoying a belated first turf winner of the year, was looking at top-level targets with the winner. “She is a stronger filly this year,” he said. “Even last year, before we went to the [Listed] Aphrodite we weren't 100 per-cent sure she would stay the mile and a half completely. I think she is so laid-back she helped herself last year. When we went to Deauville they crawled, then sprinted–then when we ran in the group one at Chantilly, she blew like a filly that didn't stay a mile and a half and I knew she was 100 per-cent fit.” Lanigan added that injury had intervened after the Vermeille. “She had a chip taken out of a hind fetlock at the end of the season and it took her a little bit of time to come right,” he explained. “From her first run of the year, with natural progression, you would expect her to improve for the run.”
“The main thing is to try pick up a group one. I think we will leave her at a mile and a quarter for the moment. I thought if we went and won today, we would go for the [G1] Pretty Polly [S. at The Curragh June 28]. Long term, at the end of last year we thought the perfect fit for her would be the Beverly D.”
Worth Waiting's sire Bated Breath is an obvious speed influence, with his dam's side a particularly stout one being out of George Strawbridge's Salutare (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) who scored twice over 15 furlongs. She is bred on a successful cross, being out of the dual listed-winning Contare (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}) whose leading performer was the G1 Prix Royal-Oak heroine and Montare (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). She is in turn the dam of the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. winner Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Travelling Man (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who was placed three times in France's staying pattern races. Salutare has an as-yet unraced 3-year-old colt by Iffraaj (GB) named Harryjoejoe (GB) and a yearling filly by Al Kazeem (GB).
Sunday, Newmarket, Britain
CHARM SPIRIT DAHLIA S.-G2, £100,000, Newmarket, 5-5, 4yo/up, f, 9fT, 1:51.27, gd.
1–WORTH WAITING (GB), 126, f, 4, by Bated Breath (GB)">Bated Breath (GB)
1st Dam: Salutare (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
2nd Dam: Contare (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
3rd Dam: Balenare (GB), by Pharly (Fr)
(40,000gns Ylg '16 TAOCT). O-Saif Ali; B-Whatton Manor Stud (GB); T-David Lanigan; J-James Doyle. £56,710. Lifetime Record: GSW-Fr, 8-5-2-0, $206,566. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Nyaleti (Ire), 126, f, 4, Arch–America Nova (Fr), by Verglas (Ire). (40,000gns Ylg '16 TATOCT). O-3 Batterhams & a Reay; B-SF Bloodstock LLC (IRE); T-Mark Johnston. £21,500.
3–Billesdon Brook (GB), 126, f, 4, Champs Elysees (GB)–Coplow (GB), by Manduro (Ger). O-Pall Mall Partners & Mrs R. J. McCreery; B-Stowell Hill Partners (GB); T-Richard Hannon. £10,760.
Margins: 1, 3 1/4, NO. Odds: 3.00, 5.50, 3.50.
Also Ran: Veracious (GB), Rasima (GB). Scratched: Shenanigans (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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