By Sean Cronin
John and Thady Gosden's team has yet to reach the giddy heights of Charlie Appleby and Aidan O'Brien this term, but TDN Rising Star Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}–Hidden Brief {GB} {SP-Fr}, by Barathea {Ire}) provided the Clarehaven stable with hopes of Classic glory after another impressive display in Wednesday's G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York. The 60,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling had opened up with a narrow victory in her Nov. 23 unveiling at Wolverhampton before earning this publication's seal of approval with a 9 1/2-length demolition in a 10-furlong Sandown novices' heat on seasonal return last month. Sent off as the odds-on favourite for this black-type debut, she was a shade keen through the early strides until finding a smooth rhythm in second as Team Valor and Steven Rocco's Luna Dorada (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) led the way at a solid clip. Looming large in the straight, the 4-7 pick was in control passing the quarter-mile marker and powered clear thereafter to easily account for Godolphin's running-on Life of Dreams (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) by 5 1/2 lengths. Kirsten Rausing's David Simcock trainee Ching Shih (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), a daughter of 2014 heroine Madame Chiang (GB) (Archipenko), was next best and two lengths further adrift in third.
“She was keen early on, but she's in control and you want her like that,” explained Frankie Dettori after claiming an outright record of six winners in the contest. “The ground is a lot deeper than you guys think and everybody was struggling from four furlongs out. I kept her together and, from two-and-a-half to the winning post, I didn't see another horse. She won in good style by 5 1/2 lengths and what more do you want? We never had any worries about staying a mile-and-a-half. She's getting there, Enable won at Chester and at this stage she was probably on the same par. With every race this filly is improving, we've liked her since day one and I'm delighted. We can sleep nicely tonight.”
😲 Just how good is Emily Upjohn (Sea The Stars, @AgaKhanStuds)? pic.twitter.com/cCVNQxJP42
— TDN (@theTDN) May 11, 2022
John Gosden, moving up to within two of Sir Henry Cecil's race-record nine editions, added, “It's interesting that Frankie said the ground was quite tiring after the little bit of rain they've had on it. A few of them were struggling four or five out. Frankie waited to go and she's picked up well and looked like a mile-and-a-half would be right up her alley. She couldn't have done it any better really. She was saddled in the stables at Sandown and saddled in the stables at Wolverhampton, so it's the first time she's been saddled in front of a crowd today. She got a bit edgy, but I think she settled after a furlong and found a lovely rhythm, which is what it's all about. She's very well balanced, but there's no reason we won't get some sausage and bacon on the [May 23] breakfast morning at Epsom. We can have a canter round the track there to see how she handles it. She's a lovely filly, and well-balanced with a good stride, and she's learnt a lot today. We've been lucky to win the Oaks three times and she very much deserves to be in that league.”
Reflecting on the performance of Life of Dreams, Charlie Appleby's assistant Alex Merriam said, “We were pleased, that was only her second run and I think she's run into a very nice horse. We'll see how she is and hope things go to plan. The Oaks might still be a possibility, but I haven't spoken to Charlie yet. She'd either run there or the [G2] Ribblesdale [at Royal Ascot]. Charlie will speak to His Highness [Sheikh Mohammed] and we'll see how we go.”
Ching Shih's trainer David Simcock is disinclined to go for a rematch with the winner in next month's G1 Cazoo Oaks. “Obviously the winner is pretty smart and it doesn't take a genius to work that out,” he commented. “I said, before the race, they were just five novice winners and they were all in the same boat. The winner looks exceptional, but our filly has acquitted herself well. She was the only one out of the first four not to have had a run [this year] and she'll come forward for it. I think, when she gets her mother's [preferred soft] ground, she'll improve for it as it will actually make her quicker, if that doesn't sound stupid. I don't know where she will go, but it won't be Epsom, unless the winner scares everything off.”
Emily Upjohn, half to a yearling filly by Capella Sansevero (GB), is the sixth of seven foals and one of three scorers out of Listed Prix Petite Etoile third Hidden Brief (GB) (Barathea {Ire}). Her dam is a full-sister to GSW G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks placegetter Hazarista (Ire) and a half to the stakes-winning dam of G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Irish Derby-winning sire Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Descendants of the March-foaled bay's second dam Hazaradjat (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) include G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares victrix Seal of Approval (GB) (Authorized {Ire}), whose 3-year-old daughter Royal Scandal (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) made a successful debut at Newcastle on Tuesday, and last term's G1 Irish Derby, G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 St Leger hero Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).
Wednesday, York, Britain
TATTERSALLS MUSIDORA S.-G3, £125,000, York, 5-11, 3yo, f, 10f 56yT, 2:10.86, gd.
1–EMILY UPJOHN (GB), 128, f, 3, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Hidden Brief (GB) (SP-Fr), by Barathea (Ire)
2nd Dam: Hazaradjat (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Hazy Idea, by Hethersett (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (60,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Tactful Finance & S Roden; B-Lordship Stud & Sunderland Holding Inc (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £70,888. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $100,110. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Life of Dreams (GB), 128, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Endless Time (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £26,875.
3–Ching Shih (Ire), 128, f, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Madame Chiang (GB), by Archipenko. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Kirsten Rausing (IRE); T-David Simcock. £13,450.
Margins: 5HF, 2, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.57, 2.75, 28.00.
Also Ran: The Algarve, Luna Dorada (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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