By Tom Frary
Trying a seventh furlong for the first time in Sunday's G3 Fred Darling S. at Newbury, Jeff Smith's G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) had just enough stamina to see it out and deny the dark horse Statement (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) in a bobber. Held out wide halfway down the field under Oisin Murphy, the 9-4 favourite swooped to the front with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and had to battle as the Martyn Meade trainee joined her soon after. Getting her nose down on the line, she had the call by a short head, with Vadream (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) 2 1/4 lengths away in third. “She's going to give herself every chance of staying in the Guineas,” Murphy commented. “I was very happy with the way she relaxed, as she can be pretty full-on. Top marks, that was a lovely start.”
Trainer Andrew Balding was bullish about Alcohol Free seeing out the extra furlong in Newmarket's May 2 G1 1000 Guineas and said, “She was drawn slightly out on the wing, but I couldn't be happier and to be honest we weren't coming here expecting to win–just hoping she showed nicely. She's been slow to come into her coat and we haven't done an awful lot with her. She settled so well and I can't see a problem with the mile so she'll go to Newmarket. That is very much the plan and today is a bonus.”
Alcohol Free's dam Plying (Hard Spun), who also produced the Listed Prix le Fabuleux-winning miler Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), is out of the listed-placed Nasaieb (Ire) (Fairy King) and therefore a half to the G2 Flying Childers S. and G3 Princess Margaret S. third Kissing Lights (Ire) Machiavellian). Nasaieb is kin to the G3 Solario S. scorer Raise a Grand (Ire) (Grand Lodge), while this is also the family of the champion juvenile filly Numbered Account (Buckpasser). Plying's 2-year-old filly Hooked On You (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) was a 130,000gns purchase by Creighton Schwartz Bloodstock at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale, while €80,000 was paid by Ballyhane for her yearling colt by Dandy Man (Ire) at the Goffs November Foal Sale.
Sunday, Newbury, Britain
DUBAI DUTY FREE S. (FRED DARLING S.)-G3, £45,000, Newbury, 4-18, 3yo, f, 7fT, 1:24.44, gd.
1–ALCOHOL FREE (IRE), 126, f, 3, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Plying, by Hard Spun
2nd Dam: Nasaieb (Ire), by Fairy King
3rd Dam: Atyaaf, by Irish River (Fr)
(€40,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV). O-J C Smith; B-Churchtown House Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Balding; J-Oisin Murphy. £25,520. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, 4-3-1-0, $207,919. *1/2 to Alexander James (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), SW-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Statement (Ire), 126, f, 3, Lawman (Fr)–Fact Or Folklore (Ire), by Lope de Vega (Ire). (€100,000 Ylg '19 GOFOR). O-Ballylinch Stud 1; B-Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Martyn Meade. £9,675.
3–Vadream (GB), 126, f, 3, Brazen Beau (Aus)–Her Honour (Ire), by Shamardal. O-D R J King; B-Crispin Estates Ltd (GB); T-Charlie Fellowes. £4,842.
Margins: NO, 2 1/4, HD. Odds: 2.25, 18.00, 50.00.
Also Ran: Primo Bacio (Ire), Ville de Grace (GB), Isabella Giles (Ire), Dandalla (Ire), Umm Kulthum (Ire), Liberated Lady (Ire), Happy Romance (Ire), Miss Finland (Ire), Zaajirah (Ire), Illykato (GB), Wild Iris (Ire), Hello Me (Ire), Lucid Dreamer (GB), Aunty Bridy (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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