By Tom Frary
Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket had the look of a vintage renewal and so it proved with the 3-year-olds in charge led by Rockcliffe Stud's 'TDN Rising Star' Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
Runner-up to Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) in the mud in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot June 18, the 6-1 shot was more settled this time buried against the far rail in mid-division with that rival in front on that side. Eased out by Sean Levey inside the final two furlongs, the grey daughter of the high-class Sky Lantern (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}) finished off strongly up the rising ground to overwhelm Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the dying yards of a pulsating race. At the line, there was half a length between her and that rival who had been third in the Coronation, with the 5-2 favourite Alcohol Free a neck back in third the same margin ahead of the best of the older fillies and mares, Lady Bowthorpe (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}).
“From my point of view, it was fairly straightforward, as the main thing is that she had to settle,” Levey commented. “We came out of the pocket late enough, but I always had the filly and she picked up up the hill and hit the line strong. She's always been exciting and with her breeding, it was very easy for everyone to get ahead of themselves a little bit, but she's proven now what we thought of her was true.”
Introduced over seven furlongs at Ascot in July, Snow Lantern was a promising second to the subsequent G2 May Hill S. third Zabeel Queen (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) but was not seen again until making a successful return at the expense of future 'Rising Star' Derab (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in a Newbury maiden over this trip Apr. 18. Only third behind Primo Bacio (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) in the Listed Michael Seely Memorial S. again at this distance at York May 14, the homebred was too free on that occasion and still showed signs of that tendency during the early part of the Coronation before putting in a strong finish to gain the silver medal. Having met traffic late on in that feature, it was to be expected that with normal improvement on more suitable ground she could turn the tables on Alcohol Free here, but the betting suggested not, as Jeff Smith's runner was heavily-backed.
While Snow Lantern settled ideally with so much cover, that proved a double-edged sword with Sean Levey trapped against the fence with a clutch of fillies gathered around him. Up ahead, Oisin Murphy had taken the initiative on the favourite, who was comfortable on the front end, with Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) pinned on the rail directly ahead of the eventual winner and Mother Earth sticking close. The previously unbeaten Just Beautiful (GB) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}) drifted from the centre to join Alcohol Free by halfway and two out, the main sufferers of the clustered pack were Snow Lantern, Primo Bacio and Lady Bowthorpe, with the latter forced to angle far wide for her customary potent late effort. Once in the clear, there were two lengths for the Hannon filly to make up on Alcohol Free and Mother Earth a furlong from home, but the combination of Frankel's power and her dam's trademark deadly acceleration saw her cut down her peers in impressive fashion.
Added Levey: “They went a nice pace and the only thing I didn't expect was that they would come far side, but Oisin [Murphy] thought it would be a benefit to go there, and so I was crying to get out of the pocket. I followed Pretty Gorgeous and I was further back than I wanted to be while he [Murphy] was getting a dream run. Ryan [Moore, on Mother Earth] came off the bridle way before I did and I did think it would be very hard to get out of there. I lost a couple of lengths swinging around them, but she got enough momentum to go by them. Her mother wasn't the most straightforward and with that Frankel in her, she is very eager to please–it is hard to keep a lid on her and you can't force her or she could go the other way.
“They've done a massive job on her at home and she's getting into a great routine–she settled as well as she ever has there and it's all come to fruition now. The way she came in after the race, she'd learnt a little bit and so should keep progressing.”
Richard Hannon has made no secret of his belief in the winner and his primary feeling was no surprise.
“It's a relief more than anything,” he said. “Sky Lantern was a freak, as she wasn't meant to be that good, but this one has the pedigree and so has always created a lot of interest and pressure. After York, I felt she had to do something and I was so pleased and disappointed at the same time after Royal Ascot. Today was an extremely good race and a real championship race, so to win the way she did was great.”
Despite all her achievements, the 2013 renewal of this race was one that got away for Sky Lantern after she had been carried across the track when narrowly beaten by Elusive Kate (Elusive Quality). For Hannon, there was a sense of justice in the outcome of this year's contest.
“Elusive Kate was a very good filly, but there was a score to settle,” he added. “The dam was brilliant, but I always thought that this filly was as good if not better and she'll get 10 [furlongs]. She is in the [July 29 G1] Nassau [at Goodwood] and the [July 28 G1] Sussex [at Goodwood] and the [Aug. 18 G1] Juddmonte International [at York], but that was her day and there is no pressure now. She can go everywhere and we can enjoy it–anything else now would be great. As far as a mile is concerned, I think if it's not broken don't fix it and she'd be taking on different animals over a mile and a quarter so we'll see.”
Sky Lantern was an earlier developer than her daughter, winning the G1 Moyglare Stud S. in six starts as a juvenile which also included an unlucky trip in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Snow Lantern is thus far the only filly from six foals out of the G1 1000 Guineas, the G1 Coronation S. and the G1 Sun Chariot S. winner. Her other produce include the 2-year-old First Emperor (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and 2020 and 2021 sons of Kingman (GB).
A half-sister to four black-type performers including the G3 Queen's Vase-winning stayer Shanty Star (Ire) (Hector Protector) and the G3 Round Tower S.-winning sprinter Arctic (Ire) (Shamardal), she is also the third dam of the talented Second Thought (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) who was a triple listed scorer and runner-up in the G2 Sandy Lane S. Sky Lantern is a granddaughter of Negligent (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}), the champion 2-year-old filly in England in 1989 courtesy of her win in the G3 Rockfel S. who was later third in her 1000 Guineas.
Friday, Newmarket, Britain
TATTERSALLS FALMOUTH S.-G1, £215,500, Newmarket, 7-9, 3yo/up, f/m, 8fT, 1:35.93, g/f.
1–SNOW LANTERN (GB), 124, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Sky Lantern (Ire) (Hwt. 2yo Filly-Ire, MG1SW-Eng & G1SW-Ire, $1,252,123), by Red Clubs (Ire)
2nd Dam: Shawanni (GB), by Shareef Dancer
3rd Dam: Negligent (Ire), by Ahonoora (GB)
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Rockcliffe Stud (GB); T-Richard Hannon; J-Sean Levey. £122,210. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-1, $312,406. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mother Earth (Ire), 124, f, 3, Zoffany (Ire)–Many Colours (GB), by Green Desert. (€150,000 Ylg '19 GOFOR). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Grenane House Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £46,333.
3–Alcohol Free (Ire), 124, f, 3, No Nay Never–Plying, by Hard Spun. (€40,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV). O-J C Smith; B-Churchtown House Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Balding. £23,188.
Margins: HF, NK, NK. Odds: 6.00, 5.00, 2.50.
Also Ran: Lady Bowthorpe (GB), Primo Bacio (Ire), Just Beautiful (GB), Pretty Gorgeous (Fr), Lavender's Blue (Ire), Indie Angel (Ire), Queen Power (Ire), Saffron Beach (Ire), Illykato (GB), Champers Elysees (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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