By Tom Frary
Thursday's Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. at Newmarket looked every bit as strong as the card's group races and so it proved as Juddmonte's G3 Tattersalls S.-winning TDN Rising Star Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}–Mirror Lake {GB}, by Dubai Destination) put his season on track with a performance that confirmed him as another elite runner for the Sir Michael Stoute stable. Last seen finishing third in the G1 Dewhurst S. on the Rowley Mile, the 11-10 favourite took Ryan Moore straight to the lead and one by one broke the hearts of his highly-regarded rivals en route to a three-length success in a fast time. Second was Embesto (GB) (Roaring Lion), who had 2 1/4 lengths to spare over the fellow Roger Varian-trained New Endeavour (Ire) (New Bay {GB}).
“We've never made any bones about the fact that we think this is a very good horse and it was a frustrating start to the season, but this will hopefully be the springboard for the rest of the season,” Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon said. “We probably could have been back for [Royal] Ascot, but it made more sense to wait and come here. This has been won by some good horses and it looked a deep renewal and a pretty tight race, so the way he went away from them he has to be a top-class horse. He's in everything, so we'll see how he comes out of it but hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later that he'll be back in group one company. This is a very special race for the Abdullah family to win and it makes it a poignant moment today.”
Nostrum
Back with a bang for Sir Michael Stoute, Ryan Moore and @JuddmonteFarms at @NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/UNegXfchoI
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 13, 2023
With fellow TDN Rising Stars Mostabshir (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) disappointing but well-beaten here, Nostrum's performance suggests a tilt at Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) et al in the Sussex is a live topic for conversation. Sir Michael Stoute was not dismissing the prospect immediately post-race. “He will tell us if he is ready to go back into group one company, but on today's evidence you would think he is,” he said, before adding, “We might get windy closer to the time!”
“He knocked a hind leg and needed a little time to get the infection out and to get moving again, but had been working very well,” Stoute explained. “He had been off for nine months and it looked a competitive field, so we weren't confident of winning but he was most impressive and I'm thrilled with him. We could go a mile and a quarter when we want, so we have just got to think about it. His two-year-old career was brimmed full of promise. Things didn't go right in the Dewhurst and he has come here today and won impressively. We can only be very happy, as he is a nice progressive horse.”
Roger Varian trained the second and third Embesto and New Endeavour and said, “Credit to the winner, he must be a very good horse because I think Embesto is very good. We had a lovely toe into the race and we couldn't run him down, but I'm very pleased with both horses and I think both have nice futures. Embesto is a pretty smart horse and he might be ready to step up to ten furlongs now. Let's see how they come out of it–they haven't won but they haven't lost much in defeat and I think the winner must be very good.”
Nostrum, whose success means that Kingman now has a dozen 3-year-old Northern Hemisphere stakes winners in 2023 and more than any other sire, is a half-brother to the G2 Ajax S. and G3 Gladness S. winner Imaging (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who was also runner-up in the G1 C F Orr S. The dual listed scorer and G3 Select S. runner-up Mirror Lake, who also produced another Australian stakes winner in Titus (GB) (Dansili {GB}), hails from the family of the G3 Criterion S. scorer Vortex (GB) (Danehill) and his G3 Prix Minerve-winning full-sister Danefair (GB) who was in turn responsible for the sire Trade Fair (GB) (Zafonic) who also took the Criterion here. Also connected to the four-times grade I-winning Ventura (Chester House), her unraced 2-year-old filly by Frankel (GB) is named Imitate (GB).
EDMONDSON HALL SOLICITORS SIR HENRY CECIL S.-Listed, £50,000, Newmarket, 7-13, 3yo, 8fT, 1:36.61, g/f.
1–NOSTRUM (GB), 131, c, 3, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Mirror Lake (GB) (MSW & GSP-Eng, $113,061), by Dubai Destination
2nd Dam: Reflections (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Roupala, by Vaguely Noble
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms (East) Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute; J-Ryan Moore. £28,355. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Eng, 4-3-0-1, $144,714. *1/2 to Titus (GB) (Dansili {GB}), SW-Aus, $224,937; 1/2 to Imaging (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), GSW & MG1SP-Aus, GSW-Ire, GSP-Ger, $516,263.
2–Embesto (GB), 131, c, 3, Roaring Lion–Dibajj (Fr), by Iffraaj (GB).
1ST BLACK TYPE. (130,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum; B-Deerfield Farm (GB); T-Roger Varian. £10,750.
3–New Endeavour (Ire), 131, g, 3, New Bay (GB)–Moody Blue (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE. (€68,000 Wlg '20 GOFNOV; €200,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR; £260,000 HRA '23 GOFLO). O-Gai Waterhouse, Adrian Bott & Partners; B-Oghill House, Sledmere Stud & D Hyland (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £5,380.
Margins: 3, 2 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 1.10, 6.00, 11.00.
Also Ran: Mostabshir (GB), Imperial Emperor (Ire), Wildfell (Ire).
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