By Tom Frary
Away from the hustle and bustle of Newmarket and ParisLongchamp, Killarney staged a relatively low-key card on Saturday but the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden revealed one to generate excitement in new TDN Rising Star Caroline Herschel (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). Homebred by Vimal and Gillian Khosla, the March-foaled chestnut started the mile contest as a 14-1 shot hailing from the in-form Jessica Harrington stable on what looked a demanding debut tackling some well-regarded colts. Worse than mid-division early, she had plenty to do at halfway but came on strong to loom seven-wide on the home turn. Taking control with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining, she drew away to score impressively by 3 1/2 lengths from Comfort Zone (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), who had been ninth on debut behind another TDN Rising Star in Eclat de Lumiere (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Ballydoyle's 11-10 favourite Sun King (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was a further 1 1/4 lengths behind in third.
“It was a very good performance first time, as she's a very big filly,” rider Nathan Crosse said of the imposing winner, who is the third TDN Rising Star for her late sire. “She broke well and I thought we went very hard on that ground and I couldn't really go with them. I let her find her feet and turning in we picked up again and once I gave her a shove, she picked up the bridle and did it nicely going away. In the end, I got there too early. She is a very big filly, so obviously hasn't run until the back end of the year but will be a lovely filly next year.”
The unraced dam Compostela (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who was a 72,000gns purchase at the 2016 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, is off to a flyer as a broodmare with her first foal being the G3 Killavullan S. winner and GII Honeymoon S. runner-up Stela Star (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus}). The second dam is Lael Stable's G3 King George S. and G3 Molecomb S. winner Enticing (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), whose high-class daughter One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) needs no introduction as the triple G1 Prix de la Foret heroine who also captured the G3 Oak Tree S. and G3 Fairy Bridge S. and was placed in two editions of the G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint S., as well as the G1 Falmouth S. and G1 Queen Anne S. The third dam is the G2 Flying Childers S. and G3 Norfolk S.-winning European champion 2-year-old filly Superstar Leo (Ire) (College Chapel {GB}). Compostela's 2021 colt is by Too Darn Hot (GB).
1st-Killarney, €14,000, Mdn, 10-2, 2yo, 8f 30yT, 1:46.61, sf.
CAROLINE HERSCHEL (IRE), f, 2, by Zoffany (Ire)
1st Dam: Compostela (GB), by Sea the Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Enticing (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Superstar Leo (Ire), by College Chapel (GB)
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $9,738.
O-Ms Gillian Khosla; B-Vimal & Gillian Khosla (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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