By Sean Cronin
Mark Dobbin's 3-year-old filly Ladies Church (GB) (Churchill {Ire}–Rioticism {Fr}, by Rio De La Plata) saluted in last term's Listed Marwell S. and hit the board in three subsequent black-type starts. She went postward for Saturday's five-furlong G3 Barberstown Castle Sapphire S. at the Curragh as a 12-1 chance coming back off a close-up 10th in Royal Ascot's June 17 Palace of Holyroodhouse H. and secured a last-gasp win for a career high. Comfortable in mid division through halfway, the eventual winner had eased into contention when shaken up approaching the final furlong and was driven out late to supplant last year's winner Mooneista (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) by a sliver on the line in a thriller.
“Ben [Coen] is a top-class rider and gave her a peach of a ride,” beamed trainer Johnny Murtagh. “We fancied her strongly in Ascot, but she probably could have done with one more run before that. We knew coming here today that she's a filly that shows plenty of pace. We had a hood on her before because she's keen, but the pace of the race was always going to help her settle today and Ben delivered her to perfection. When she relaxes she's got that turn of foot at the end. She's a huge filly and what she did at two is probably a bonus. She won her maiden and a Listed race and was always going to be better at three. She's learning how to sprint and we're going to be brave with her now for the rest of the season. She's won a Group 2, so it's Group 1s all the way now.”
Ladies Church, half-sister to a yearling colt by Le Brivido (Fr), is the first of two foals produced by Listed Prix des Reves d'Or victrix Rioticism (Fr) (Rio de la Plata), herself the leading performer out of a half-sister to G3 Somerville Tattersall S. and G3 Sirenia S. third Adventurous (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), G3 Marit Sveaas Minnelop second Crimson and Gold (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) and Listed Derby du Midi placegetter Music House (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}). Descendants of her G1 Prix Saint-Alary-winning fourth dam Rosefinch (Blushing Groom {Fr}), herself a daughter of Britain's Triple Crown heroine Oh So Sharp (Ire) (Kris {GB}), include multiple stakes-winning G2 Dante S. placegetter True Story (GB) (Manduro {Ger}), stakes-winning G2 King Edward VII S. third Roscius (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), multiple stakes-winning G2 Bill Stutt S. third Jimando (Aus) (Commands {Aus}), G2 Dubai City of Gold third Gold Star (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Listed Churchill S. victor Team Talk (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}).
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
BARBERSTOWN CASTLE SAPPHIRE S.-G2, €120,000, Curragh, 7-16, 3yo/up, 5fT, 1:00.86, gd.
1–LADIES CHURCH (GB), 128, f, 3, by Churchill (Ire)
1st Dam: Rioticism (Fr) (SW-Fr, $101,570), by Rio de La Plata
2nd Dam: Romanticism (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rosia (Ire), by Mr. Prospector
1ST GROUP WIN. (62,000gns Wlg '19 TATFOA; £160,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR; £700,000 RNA HRA '22 GOFLON). O-Mark Dobbin; B-Dukes Stud & Overbury Stallions Ltd (GB); T-Johnny Murtagh; J-Ben Coen. €72,000. Lifetime Record: 8-3-2-1, $142,753. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mooneista (Ire), 132, f, 4, Dandy Man (Ire)–Moon Unit (Ire), by Intikhab. O-Mrs Paula Davison; B-Killarkin Stud (IRE); T-Jack Davison. €24,000.
3–Equilateral (GB), 135, g, 7, Equiano (Fr)–Tarentaise (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). O-Mrs Fitri Hay; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd. (GB); T-Charles Hills. €12,000.
Margins: SHD, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 12.00, 2.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Cadamosto (Ire), Castle Star (Ire), Brostaigh (Ire), Geocentric (Ire), Last Crusader (Ire), New York City (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Thrilling finish at the @curraghrace – Ladies Church chins Mooneista on the line to land the €120,000 G2 Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes for @JohnnyMurtagh & @BenCoen2 pic.twitter.com/1DzTGbW7A1
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 16, 2022
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