By Sean Cronin
George Strawbridge's 325,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 acquisition Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was the stylish winner of Deauville's G3 Prix Minerve last month and simply outclassed overmatched rivals with a seven-length rout in Thursday's G2 Hippo Pro3 Park Hill Fillies' S. over the full G1 St Leger trip. The upwardly mobile sophomore had encountered the reopposing Golden Pass (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) when a 3/4-of-a-length runner-up to that rival in July's Listed Aphrodite Fillies' S. at Newmarket in her penultimate start and exacted revenge in style. The well-backed 15-8 favourite was swiftly into stride, but immediately reined back by Frankie Dettori to stalk the leaders under a firm hold in third. Looming large on the bridle in the straight to lead with a quarter mile remaining, she surged clear approaching the final furlong and was in splendid isolation in the closing stages, hitting the line with daylight to spare from Golden Pass. Juddmonte's Yesyes (GB) (Camelot {GB}) was best of the remainder and finished 1 1/2 lengths back in third.
“The trip was an unknown, she'd only won over a mile-and-a-half before in France, so that was very pleasing,” said Thady Gosden. “Frankie rode her perfectly, he put her to sleep and she quickened up nicely. She settles well off any pace really and also has a turn of foot that most of those others wouldn't necessarily have. She could have run in the [G1] St Leger and today's race was a different kettle of fish, so we'll never know what would have happened. The obvious options are the [G1 British Champions] Fillies & Mares on Champions Day and there's also the [G1] Prix de Royallieu on Arc day as well.”
Dettori, who drew alongside 19th century riders John Osborne Jr and Sim Templeman on a record six winners apiece in the contest, gave impetus to the latter option and added, “Wow, what a performance today. She's improved a lot and hasn't stopped improving. I rode her on loose ground in Deauville and on good-to-firm today and she's getting better. She's quite tiny, but she's got a massive heart and a big engine. I suspect the Prix de Royallieu on Arc weekend will be next.”
Free Wind is the second of four foals and lone scorer for MSW G3 Dance Design S. placegetter Alive Alive Oh (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), herself a half-sister to G3 Fukushima Kinen and G3 Tanabata Sho victor Crescendo Love (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}). Alive Alive Oh is also kin to the dam of the dual stakes-placed Soldier's Minute (GB) (Raven's Pass). The April-foaled bay's second dam Higher Love (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), who was runner-up in the Listed Cheshire Oaks, is out of Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial runner-up Dollar Bird (Ire) (Kris {GB}), herself a half-sister to GSW sire Amfortas (Ire) (Caerleon) and to the dam of G1 1000 Guineas heroine Virginia Waters (Kingmambo) and G1SP sires Alexander of Hales (Danehill) and Chevalier (Ire) (Danehill). Free Wind is a full-sister to the unraced 2-year-old colt Martinstown (Ire) and a weanling colt.
Thursday, Doncaster, Britain
HIPPO PRO3 PARK HILL FILLIES S.-G2, £110,000, Doncaster, 9-9, 3yo/up, f/m, 14f 115yT, 3:03.75, g/f.
1–FREE WIND (IRE), 121, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Alive Alive Oh (GB) (SW & GSP-Ire), by Duke of Marmalade (Ire)
2nd Dam: Higher Love (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Dollar Bird (Ire), by Kris (GB)
(325,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-George Strawbridge; B-Sue Ann Foley (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Frankie Dettori. £62,381. Lifetime Record: GSW-Fr, 6-4-1-0, $159,982. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Golden Pass (GB), 131, f, 4, Golden Horn (GB)–Lovely Pass (Ire), by Raven's Pass. (150,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Dr Ali Ridha; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited (GB); T-Hugo Palmer. £23,650.
3–Yesyes (GB), 121, f, 3, Camelot (GB)–Shared Account (GB), by Dansili (GB). O/B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd. (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. £11,836.
Margins: 7, 1HF, 1. Odds: 1.88, 8.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Eileendover (GB), Tribal Craft (GB), Urban Artist (GB), Save A Forest (Ire), Silence Please (Ire). Scratched: Glenartney (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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