By Tom Frary
William Haggas's stable is in scintillating form at present and Sunderland Holding's My Prospero (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) further emphasised that with success in Thursday's Listed Heron S. at Sandown. Sent off the 7-4 joint-favourite alongside the returning G3 Solario S. winner Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), the Apr. 16 Newbury maiden winner was settled in third early by Tom Marquand as the other market-leader set off in front. Wound up in early straight, the homebred half-brother to Wednesday's 12-length Listed Rothesay S. winner My Astra (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) mastered The Queen's colt a furlong from home and stayed on best for a 1 1/4-length success, with 6 1/2 lengths back to TDN Rising Star Akhu Najla (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in third.
“He's just really learning on the job and he's a gorgeous horse,” Tom Marquand said. “I thought Frankie had me in a bit of trouble turning in–the turn is very sharp here and he'd only really bolted up in a straight line at Newbury last time, so he had to think about it–and I was cautious of stepping on the gas too early. He knuckled down really well and it takes a talented horse to run down another talented horse who has got first run. That begs the question of what trip he wants in time, but he's taken a massive leap forward from Newbury and the team at home really like him so I'm sure he will take another step forward. I think he'll definitely get ten, but speed will come as he gets more savvy.”
John Gosden said of the runner-up, “We were delighted with him–he was playing around a bit and enjoying himself beforehand, but was very professional in the race and ran a superb race. I had said he was 80-85%, as he was only just ready for a run and the winner's very nice. Frankie was very clear that he needs a step up in trip and we'll look towards [Royal] Ascot and either the [G2] King Edward VII or the [G3] Hampton Court over a mile and a quarter. He's always been very playful–he's a Sea the Stars and there's a horse called Stradivarius who is exactly the same–but when he gets on the track he is professional and so does it the right way round.”
My Prospero's aforementioned half-sister My Astra also looks a potential star this term based on her wide-margin win at Ayr, but both the 3-year-old and 4-year-old have something to do to earn the bragging rights as the best progeny out of the G3 Weld Park S.-winning dam My Titania (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). They are currently held by the 5-year-old My Oberon (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), winner of last year's G3 Earl of Sefton S. who was also third in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan. My Titania, who is a half-sister to the stable's triple group 2 winner and G1 King's Stand S. and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye third Muthmir (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and his listed-placed stakes-producing full-sister Aneedah (Ire), also has a 2-year-old full-sister to My Astra to come.
CORAL HERON S.-Listed, £52,000, Sandown, 5-19, 3yo, 8fT, 1:41.94, g/f.
1–MY PROSPERO (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Iffraaj (GB)
1st Dam: My Titania (Ire) (GSW-Ire, $124,775), by Sea The Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Fairy of the Night (Ire), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Sassenach (Ire), by Night Shift
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Sunderland Holding Inc (IRE); T-William Haggas; J-Tom Marquand. £29,489. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $46,396. *1/2 to My Oberon (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), GSW-Eng, G1SP-Fr, $388,795.
2–Reach For the Moon (GB), 128, c, 3, Sea the Stars (Ire)–Golden Stream (Ire), by Sadler's Wells. O/B-The Queen (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £11,180.
3–Akhu Najla (GB), 128, c, 3, Kingman (GB)–Galicuix (GB), by Galileo (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE. (2,700,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-KHK Racing Ltd; B-Pantile Stud (GB); T-Roger Varian. £5,595.
Margins: 1 1/4, 6HF, 3 3/4. Odds: 2.75, 2.75, 3.75.
Also Ran: Oneforthegutter (GB), Harrow (Ire), Encourageable (Ire).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
