By Sean Cronin
There was a buzz about Juddmonte's Task Force (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the 10th foal produced by unique dual Classic heroine Special Duty (GB) (Hennessy {GB}), as he went postward as the even-money favourite for Saturday evening's Starman At Tally Ho Stud British EBF Maiden S. at Salisbury. He proved why as he returned with a TDN Rising Star rosette after delivering a deeply promising 3 1/4-length success in the six-furlong contest.
Swiftly into stride from an outer stall, the G2 Champagne S. entry cut across to shadow the pace in a close-up second throughout the early stages. Inching ahead passing the two-furlong pole, the homebred quickened beyond recall soon after and kept on powerfully under mild coaxing to outclass Kingswood Flyer (Ire) (Sioux Nation).
“Mr [Ralph] Beckett had me in Friday morning just to sit on him and to get a feel,” explained winning rider Rhys Clutterbuck. “He did a quick bit of work and he felt special. Mr Beckett told me he was very professional out of the gate, so I shouldn't have any problems getting a nice position. I got him into a nice position so that I was able to see how the race developed and he put the race to bed quite nicely. He probably wants seven furlongs in time and, ideally, it would have been more in our favour if there had been a little bit more rain. I think he'd like it softer, but he handled that [good] ground very well today.”
Task Force – remember the name! @RalphBeckett's son of Frankel holds a Champagne Stakes entry and makes an eye-catching winning debut in the Starman At Tally Ho Stud British EBF Maiden Stakes @salisburyraces @JuddmonteFarms | @HoStud | @BritishEBF pic.twitter.com/I9fUu8diQe
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 29, 2023
Pedigree Notes
Special Duty, who captured the G1 Cheveley Park S. and G2 Prix Robert Papin and was second in the G1 Prix Morny before being twice promoted from second to first by the stewards in the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, has yet to hit the heights as a broodmare with her best progeny being the listed scorer Elegant Verse (GB) by Frankel's sire Galileo (Ire). Also responsible for the Listed Prix Yacowlef runner-up South Bank (Tapit), she is a daughter of Quest To Peak (Distant View) who is also the second dam of the operation's GI Breeders' Cup Mile and G2 Vintage S.-winning sire Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}).
The third dam is the Listed Prix Melisande winner and G3 Prix de Psyche runner-up Viviana (Nureyev), who produced Quest To Peak's seven-times grade I-winning full-sister Sightseek (Distant View) and the GI Yellow Ribbon S. winner Tates Creek (Rahy) and the dam of the four-times grade III winner and GI Clark S.-placed Fulsome (Into Mischief). Also from the family of the champion sire Chief's Crown, Special Duty's yearling filly is by Sea The Stars (Ire), while her colt foal is a full-brother to Task Force.
2nd-Salisbury, £10,000, Mdn, 7-29, 2yo, 6fT, 1:16.88, gd.
TASK FORCE (GB) (c, 2, Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Special Duty (GB) (MG1SW-Eng & G1SW-Fr, $1,070,938), by Hennessy
2nd Dam: Quest To Peak, by Distant View
3rd Dam: Viviana, by Nureyev
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $6,939. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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