By Tom Frary
Backing up the impression of her 11-length Haydock novice success last month, Godolphin's TDN Rising Star Star Of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}–Mistrusting {Ire}, by Shamardal) turned Newmarket's Listed Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' S. into another procession on Saturday. Travelling strongly for William Buick throughout the first half of the six-furlong contest, the Charlie Appleby-trained half-sister to Dark Angel's GI Summer S. winner Mysterious Night (Ire) and GI Just a Game S. and GI Diana S. heroine Althiqa (GB) was allowed to stride to the front before two out and was totally dominant from there. At the line, the 4-5 favourite had recorded a fast time for good ground four lengths ahead over Cry Fiction (Ire) (El Kabeir), with the same margin back to Unbreak My Heart (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in third.
“She's a neat and strong model and has always shown natural pace, but has been a little bit buzzy and not easy so the team has done a great job,” Charlie Appleby said of the winner, who was runner-up to the G3 Albany S. disappointment Carla's Way (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) on debut over nearly 6 1/2-furlongs at Doncaster 12 days before her Haydock romp. “It's great winning by those distances, it's just that sometimes they don't learn a great deal but she can't do any more than she's been doing so we're delighted. My daughter named her, so I've got her to thank. We'll work back from a [G1] Cheveley Park, but where she goes in between I don't know.”
⭐ Star Of Mystery ⭐
She's a half-sister to two Group 1 winners and is surely heading for lofty heights herself after a runaway win in the Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' Stakes at @NewmarketRace. @godolphin 👀 pic.twitter.com/DZl4qObyz0
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 1, 2023
Star Of Mystery is the fifth foal out of Mistrusting, who captured the Listed Boadicea Fillies S. before proving such an important broodmare for the Godolphin via her aforementioned high-class Dark Angel duo who have recorded a total of six black-type and graded-stakes wins between them including their three at the highest level. The second dam is Misheer (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who was successful in the G2 Cherry Hinton S. over this course and distance before finishing runner-up in the G1 Cheveley Park S. on the Rowley Mile over the way. Like Althiqa's first foal born this year, Mistrusting's yearling colt is by the operation's powerhouse Dubawi (Ire).
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
MAUREEN BRITTAIN MEMORIAL EMPRESS FILLIES' S.-Listed, £40,000, Newmarket, 7-1, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:10.67, gd.
1–STAR OF MYSTERY (GB), 128, f, 2, by Kodiac (GB)
1st Dam: Mistrusting (Ire) (SW-Eng, $120,206), by Shamardal
2nd Dam: Misheer (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
3rd Dam: All For Laura (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £22,684. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $37,786. *1/2 to Althiqa (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), MGISW-US, GSW-UAE, SW & GSP-Fr, MGSP-Eng, $761,213; and Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), GISW-Can, GSW-Fr & MGSP-Eng, $308,358.
2–Cry Fiction (Ire), 128, f, 2, El Kabeir–Fictitious (GB), by Mayson (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€7,000 Ylg '22 GOFSPT). O-Ruffles Racing Club; B-Tom & Hazel Russell (IRE); T-Jonathan Portman. £8,600.
3–Unbreak My Heart (GB), 128, f, 2, Showcasing (GB)–Place In My Heart (GB), by Compton Place (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-C J Harper; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Clive Cox. £4,304.
Margins: 4, 4, 4. Odds: 0.80, 40.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Indispensable (GB), Point Of Attack (GB), Ziggy's Phoenix (Ire), Rare Jewel (GB), What A Question (GB), Neverstopdreaming (Ire). Scratched: Denruth Diamond (Fr).
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