By Tom Frary
Honed and prepped by Sir Mark Prescott in two listed contests in Germany, the Elite Racing Club's Tiffany (Ire) (Farhh {GB}–Affinity {GB}, by Sadler's Wells) stepped on to a bigger stage on Friday only to announce herself a new star actor in Newcastle's G3 Hoppings Fillies' Stakes. Always travelling comfortably tucked in behind the leaders by Luke Morris, the 7-2 joint-favourite was able to move to the front without the industry with which her talented rider is renowned passing two out. Forging clear of a smart bunch for this renewal, the homebred had 2 1/2 lengths to spare over last month's G2 German 1000 Guineas winner Darnation (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) at the line.
Tiffany, whose two overseas raids culminated in a 4 1/2-length success in Baden-Baden's Listed Preis der Baden-Badener Hotellerie & Gastronomie over 11 furlongs last month, was coming into this having won five of her six previous starts with her reversal being at Windsor last August at the hands of the older and stronger and soon-to-be Bahrain International Trophy and Neom Turf Cup winner Spirit Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}). This was the performance of a filly still on the up and whose ceiling may not yet have been reached.
“She's been a credit to Sir Mark and the whole team at Heath House, she started off a mark in the 70s and now she's 109 and a group 3 winner,” Morris said. “She's a real advocate for patience and letting a horse come to themselves, because if we'd dived in to soon she may have cracked. To me, she felt like a filly well worth a crack at the top level on that run. She's a very smooth-travelling filly and you can ride her where you want.”
Prescott's assistant trainer William Butler added, “It's a pleasure to train these improving fillies for these good owner-breeders, they let you be patient. Looking through her form, when she won at Wolverhampton last year Isle Of Jura was fourth so it's all there, in the book. There was a day she got beaten at Windsor and we were disappointed, but the winner was Richard Fahey's globetrotter! With another year on her back she's just improved again. We'll just take it step by step, but the group 1 option is there and so is the option to go up in trip.”
TIFFANY wins the G3 Hoppings Fillies Stakes in fine style under @Luke_Morris88 at @NewcastleRaces
Congratulations to her owners @eliteracingclub and all the team at home.#winner #sirmarkprescott #14 pic.twitter.com/Bm6eLHozGh
— William Butler (@HeathHouseNkt) June 28, 2024
Karl Burke is considering a return to Germany for the runner-up. “I'm delighted with the run and we've been beaten by a very good filly,” he said. “She's favourite for the German Oaks [G1 Preis der Diana] at Dusseldorf on August 4 over a mile and three and I didn't want to jump straight up from a mile. Timing-wise, this was a lovely stepping stone and she doesn't want fast ground, so we had to come here. We're very pleased, as she had a five-pound penalty for her group 2 win. After the German Oaks, she's in the Yorkshire Oaks and we'll just play it by ear. It depends on the ground as much as anything.”
Pedigree Notes
Tiffany is the third black-type daughter of Affinity and the best, with Zest (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) having managed placings in the Listed Fleur de Lys Stakes and the Listed Snowdrop Stakes on the Polytrack and Harmonica (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) finishing third in an Italian listed. The second dam Kalinka has proven a golden broodmare for the Elite Racing Club, producing their illustrious champion Soviet Song (Ire) (Marju {Ire}) and five daughters who proved stakes producers.
They include Soviet Song's full-sibling Sister Act (GB) whose Ribbons (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) won the G1 Prix Jean Romanet before producing the G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Soulcombe (GB) (Frankel {GB}), as well as the G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes runner-up Tribute Act (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). Another is Baralinka (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}), second dam of this stable's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp and G1 Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Marsha (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and the dual group 3-winning fellow sprinter Judicial (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). Also connected to this year's G3 Prix de Guiche winner Darlinghurst (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Affinity's unraced 2-year-old filly Petula (GB) is by Calyx (GB) while she also has a yearling colt by Bated Breath (GB).
Friday, Newcastle, Britain
JENNINGSBET IN DELVES HOPPINGS FILLIES' S.-G3, £65,000, Newcastle, 6-28, 3yo/up, f/m, 10f 42y (AWT), 2:08.62, st/sl.
1–TIFFANY (IRE), 133, f, 4, by Farhh (GB)
1st Dam: Affinity (GB), by Sadler's Wells
2nd Dam: Kalinka (Ire), by Soviet Star
3rd Dam: Tralthee, by Tromos (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Elite Racing Club (IRE); T-Sir Mark Prescott; J-Luke Morris. £36,862. Lifetime Record: 9-6-1-0, $127,128. *1/2 to Zest (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}. MSP-Eng; and Harmonica (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), SP-Ity. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Darnation (Ire), 126, f, 3, Too Darn Hot (GB)–Monday Monday (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O/B-Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Karl Burke. £13,975.
3–Sea Of Roses (GB), 133, f, 4, Sea The Moon (Ger)–Plume Rose (GB), by Marchand De Sable. (115,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; 170,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Weldspec Glasgow Ltd; B-Overbury Stallions Ltd (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £6,994.
Margins: 2HF, HD, 3/4. Odds: 3.50, 9.00, 28.00.
Also Ran: Sapphire Seas (GB), Shining Jewel (GB), Red Danielle (GB), La Pasionaria (GB), Empress Wu (GB), Glimpsed (GB), Imperial Quarter (Ire), Madame Ambassador (GB), Miss Cantik (Fr), Flying Finn (Ire), Chic Colombine (Fr).
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