By Sean Cronin
Highclere Throughbred Racing's Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}–Misfortunate {Ire}, by Kodiac {GB}), successful in last term's G3 Prix Texanita, finished just off the board in Royal Ascot's G1 King Charles III Stakes and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubliee Stakes last month and regained the winning thread with a decisive victory in Saturday's G2 Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh.
Believing was alert from the gates and raced fifth, within range of the pace, through halfway in this straight dash. Shaken up with a quarter-mile remaining, the even-money favourite quickened to the fore passing the furlong pole and was ridden out in the latter stages to assert by 1 3/4 lengths from Beautiful Diamond (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}). Makarova (GB) (Acclamation {GB}), from the in-form Ed Walker stable, ran on well to finish a half-length adrift in third.
“She's such a hardy, tough filly and she did it well,” commented George Boughey's assistant Henry Morshead. “She ran with great credit in two Group 1s over the week, which is amazing, and came out of [Royal] Ascot great. She hasn't done a lot since and we've just freshened her up. She can be quite busy at a high level through the second half of the year and I'd imagine she'll have sales hopes later in the year. Highclere are great supporters of the yard and it's great to get a Group 2 win for them.”
Ryan Moore added, “She has been in very good form this year, she won well at Haydock [when winning the June 8 Listed Achilles Stakes] and had two very solid runs in Group 1s at Ascot. She was probably entitled to win this, she is very straightforward and seems to be most suited to five furlongs.”
Pedigree Notes
Believing is the second of four foals and lone scorer out of an unraced half-sister to G3 Brownstown Stakes and G3 Concorde Stakes victrix Miss Sally (Ire) (Danetime {GB}). She is a half-sister to a yearling colt by Inns Of Court (Ire). The February-foaled bay's third dam Nurse Jo (J. O. Tobin) is kin to six stakes performers headed by dual GI Beldame Stakes winner Love Sign (Spanish Riddle) and G1 Oaks d'Italia heroine and G1 Irish Oaks dead-heater Melodist (The Minstrel).
A British-trained trifecta in Irish Gr.2 Sapphire Stakes! 🇬🇧
🥇 BELIEVING earns a fifth career Stakes success for @gbougheyracing & leading syndicate @HighclereRacing.
🥈 BEAUTIFUL DIAMOND (GB) – @karl_burke
🥉 MAKAROVA (GB) – @edwalkerracingpic.twitter.com/454sp5SXWM— GBRI (@GBRI_UK) July 20, 2024
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
BARBERSTOWN CASTLE SAPPHIRE STAKES-G2, €138,000, Curragh, 7-20, 3yo/up, 5fT, :57.96, gd.
1–BELIEVING (IRE), 132, f, 4, by Mehmas (Ire)
1st Dam: Misfortunate (Ire), by Kodiac (GB)
2nd Dam: Evictress (Ire), by Sharp Victor
3rd Dam: Nurse Jo, by J. O. Tobin
(70,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT; 115,000gns 2yo '22 TATBRE). O-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing (Jane Addams); B-M Mullen & Cloneymore Farm (IRE); T-George Boughey; J-Ryan Moore. €72,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Fr, MSW & G1SP-Eng, 20-6-3-2, $478,430. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Beautiful Diamond (GB), 128, f, 3, Twilight Son (GB)–Babylon Lane (GB), by Lethal Force (Ire). (30,000gns Ylg '22 TATSOM; £360,000 2yo '23 GOUKB). O-Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Rosyground Stud (GB); T-Karl Burke. €24,000.
3–Makarova (GB), 132, m, 5, Acclamation (GB)–Vesnina (GB), by Sea The Stars (Ire). O/B-Brightwalton Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Ed Walker. €12,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, HD. Odds: 1.00, 5.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Jakajaro (Ire), Ano Syra (Ire), She's Quality (Ire), So Majestic (Ire), Twilight Jet (Ire), Valiant Force.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
