By Tom Frary
Purchased privately by Nurlan Bizakov following her success in the Newmarket July Festival's six-furlong fillies' maiden, the Charlie Johnston-trained Sacred Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) provided instant justification for the acquisition by making all in Ascot's G3 Bateaux London Princess Margaret S. on Saturday.
Electric from her outside stall under Jason Hart, the 16-1 shot who was a £52,000 purchase for original owners the Titanium Racing Club at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, had pressure throughout but shook it off to go clear inside the final furlong. Veering left in the run to the line, the grey daughter of the Listed Tipperary S. winner Sacred Aspect (Ire) (Haatef) had three lengths to spare over Pretty Crystal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) at the line.
This was a first group win for Charlie Johnston since taking up the licence in his own name at the famed Middleham stable and he said, “She is improving dramatically–very much so. On her first run at Pontefract I thought she was the best horse on the day, but she was quite green and got beat by two horses who'd had experience. If you had told me then that within two starts we'd be at this level, I'd have thought 'I'm not so sure about that' but she took a nice step forward at Newmarket and a step forward again.
“The owners obviously sponsor quite a high-profile race in France [the G1 Prix Morny] and on the back of that I would suspect they will want her to go there next. Possibly the [G1] Cheveley Park at the end of the year will be the obvious real highlight target.”
Richard Fahey said of the runner-up, “I thought it was a good run, but it just didn't work out again for her. She's been a bit unlucky. But she is quite a nice filly and she'll definitely go for the [G2] Lowther at York.”
Pedigree Notes
The aforementioned dam, whose yearling full-sister to the winner is catalogued in this year's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale in a month's time, hails from the family of last year's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp heroine The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), the G3 Greenlands S. winner Tiger Royal (Ire) (Royal Academy) and the listed winner and G2 Mill Reef S. runner-up Sir Xaar (Ire) (Xaar {GB}).
Saturday, Ascot, Britain
BATEAUX LONDON PRINCESS MARGARET S.-G3, £60,000, Ascot, 7-29, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:16.53, gd.
1–SACRED ANGEL (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Sacred Aspect (Ire) (SW-Ire), by Haatef
2nd Dam: Again Royale (Ire), by Royal Academy
3rd Dam: Lady Redford (Ire), by Bold Lad (Ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. (£52,000 Ylg '22
GOFFUK). O-Titanium Racing Club; B-Yeomanstown Stud (IRE);
T-Charlie Johnston; J-Jason Hart. £34,026. Lifetime Record:
3-2-0-1, $66,226. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks
report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Pretty Crystal (Ire), 128, f, 2, Dubawi (Ire)–Pretty Baby (Ire),
by Orpen. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Sheikh
Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited
(IRE); T-Richard Fahey. £12,900.
3–Symbology (GB), 128, f, 2, Havana Grey (GB)–Showstoppa
(GB), by Showcasing (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK
TYPE. (£230,000 Ylg '22 GOFFUK). O-Isa Salman Al Khalifa;
B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Clive Cox. £6,456.
Margins: 3, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 16.00, 4.50, 3.50.
Also Ran: Dazzling Star (GB), Komat (GB), Cry Fiction (Ire), Gladly Ever After (Ire), Lunar Shine (Ire), La Guarida (Ire), Elinor Dashwood (Ire). Scratched: Soprano (Ire). VIDEO.
⭐️Group 3 Winner⭐️
Sacred Angel 👼 by @YeomanstownStud Dark Angel won the Princess Margaret Stakes @Ascot for @Johnston_Racing & @NurlanBizakov
She was sold by her breeders Yeomanstown Stud at the Premier Yearling Salepic.twitter.com/mcRp1uI1gr
— Goffs UK (@GoffsUK) July 29, 2023
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