By Sean Cronin
Juddmonte's G1 Irish Oaks and G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares runner-up Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}–Emulous {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) had failed to get her nose in front since attaining 'TDN Rising Star' status at Salisbury in September 2022, but bounced back from six straight stakes defeats to outshine all four rivals with a dominant display in Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' S. at York.
Positioned in a handy third through the halfway mark of this extended 10-furlong contest, the 5-2 second favourite loomed large racing hard on the steel approaching the quarter-mile pole and powered clear once seizing control with a furlong remaining to easily account for 15-8 chalk Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and 'TDN Rising Star' Infinite Cosmos (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) by six lengths and a neck.
“It's about time, isn't it?” said trainer Ralph Beckett. “She was a bridesmaid too many times last year and it's great to get that race under our belt. She has been frustrating and I said to [Juddmonte's] Barry Mahon yesterday that I felt we'd done everything right, but you never know with her. I thought she looked well all week and saddling her I thought she could have looked better, but she's put it all together well today on a track that really suits her. She ran well here in the [G1] Yorkshire Oaks last year and I was quite happy to come back even if the ground did dry out. We tried the cheekpieces on her last start last year and had them on again. I always think the cheekpieces are pretty much a halfway house, you can take them off pretty easily and put them on pretty easily, and I don't think she'll always need them. Perhaps she's just come of age today and we had all of our ducks in a row. She was full of confidence and Rossa [Ryan] rode her that way.”
Looking ahead, Beckett added, “We're well entered up and we'll work it out as we go along, I think. The [G1] Coronation Cup is a possibility, but it's quite soon. We'll have a think and see how she comes out it. All options are open.”
Last year's winner Free Wind was put firmly in her place by the winner, but John Gosden was far from downcast in defeat. “She stayed on nicely, but she needs the mile-and-a-half now,” the trainer commented. “She's that bit older, she's won a [G2] Park Hill over a mile-and-six, so I was very happy with that run. She was doing all her best work in the last furlong, the [G2] Lancashire Oaks at Haydock is the obvious race, but this is the only one you can run in early in the year, so we'll step her up. She only just got up to win this last year, but this year the winner has improved mightily from three to four. I was delighted with our filly, she got beaten a nose in the [G1] Yorkshire Oaks last year and we'll try that again, but we're likely to meet this filly [Bluestocking] there. She's won a Group 2 the last three seasons and the idea is to get a Group 1 this year.”
Pedigree Notes
Bluestocking, the fifth of eight foals, is the leading performer from four scorers out of G1 Matron S. heroine Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}), herself a full-sister to G3 Prix Gontaut-Biron victor First Sitting (GB) and Listed Criterium de Vitesse victrix Daring Diva (GB). Daring Diva, in turn, is the dam of three black-type performers headed by G2 Ridgewood Pearl S. and G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud S. victrix Brooch (Empire Maker), herself the dam of GI Haskell S. hero and upgraded GI Kentucky Derby second Mandaloun (Into Mischief). Descendants of her stakes-placed second dam Aspiring Diva (Distant View) also include Group 3-winning GI Canadian International runner-up Alounak (Fr) (Camelot {GB}). The February-foaled homebred bay is a half-sister to the unraced 2-year-old gelding Dissident (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and a yearling filly by Kingman (GB).
Thursday, York, Britain
AL BASTI EQUIWORLD DUBAI MIDDLETON FILLIES' S.-G2, £150,000, York, 5-16, 4yo/up, f, 10f 56yT, 2:09.80, gd.
1–BLUESTOCKING (GB), 128, f, 4, by Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Emulous (GB) (G1SW-Ire, $528,533), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Aspiring Diva, by Distant View
3rd Dam: Queen Of Song, by His Majesty
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. TDN Rising Star. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms (East) Ltd (GB); T-Ralph Beckett; J-Rossa Ryan. £85,065. Lifetime Record: 8-2-4-1, $459,218. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Free Wind (Ire), 128, m, 6, Galileo (Ire)–Alive Alive Oh (GB), by Duke of Marmalade (Ire). (325,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-George Strawbridge; B-Mrs Sue Ann Foley (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden. £32,250.
3–Infinite Cosmos (Ire), 128, f, 4, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Waila (GB), by Notnowcato (GB). TDN Rising Star. O-Anthony & David de Rothschild; B-South Court Stud (IRE); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £16,140.
Margins: 6, NK, NK. Odds: 2.50, 1.88, 7.00.
Also Ran: Sapphire Seas (GB), Caernarfon (GB). Scratched: Novus (Ire).
Bluestocking, a two-time runner-up at Group 1 level, makes a fine start to her four-year-old career with a big performance in the @ABE_Dubai Middleton Stakes.
Many congratulations to @Rossaryan15, @RalphBeckett and @JuddmonteFarms pic.twitter.com/wLXCJDgU8w
— York Racecourse (@yorkracecourse) May 16, 2024
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