By Tom Frary
Jockey David Probert described Kirsten Rausing's Sandrine (GB) (Bobby's Kitten) as a having been a “forgotten horse” following her success in Tuesday's G2 World Pool Lennox S. at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, but last year's G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. and G3 Albany S. winner made sure she was back in the headlines at a seven-furlong trip that may prove her niche. Already signalling a return to her best when fighting out the finish of the G1 Falmouth S. with Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at Newmarket July 8, the Andrew Balding-trained homebred was always happy tracking the leading quartet throughout the early stages.
Delivered wide in the closing stages as last year's winner Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) went for the rail, the generously-priced 12-1 shot got to the front ahead of him yards from the line and had a neck to spare there, with Pogo (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) a short head back in third. “She deserved that, as she's become a bit of a forgotten horse but she took a while to really blossom this season,” Probert said. “The plan to try seven furlongs today worked out great for her, as she is able to travel at a very strong gallop.”
🙌🏻 Sandrine gets back to winning ways in the G2 Lennox Stakes for @Lanwades. pic.twitter.com/oVmlbUwGlN
— TDN (@theTDN) July 26, 2022
Sandrine was the first winner on the storm-struck Friday card at last year's Royal Ascot meeting, overcoming the deep conditions to prevail in the Albany before demonstrating her versatility when adding Newmarket's Duchess of Cambridge to her tally on good-to-firm. Second in the G2 Lowther S. at York in August and third in the G1 Cheveley Park S. on the Rowley Mile the following month, it was a surprise that she was overlooked at 25-1 for the 1000 Guineas back there at the start of May and while she was unable to land a serious blow was coming home notably strongly to be fifth. Only seventh in the G1 Coronation S. back at the Royal meeting June 17, she had another go at Inspiral in the Falmouth and at one point in the closing stages looked as if she might take her before fading late.
“We've tried her at a mile this year and she has run very consistently, but she had shown a lot of speed as a two-year-old and so I'd imagine seven furlongs suits her down to the ground. I've always thought she was a group one filly and if she could get that it would be an amazing feeling for me and her. I think she does see the mile out well, but she would probably be a little bit more able to bag that group one over seven.”
Andrew Balding has the same feeling. “The [G1 Prix de la] Foret is the golden target, with maybe the [G2] City of York beforehand,” he said. “I am delighted and thrilled for Kirsten Rausing. She is such a great owner and so supportive. We had a few options on the table, but she was happy to go with what we felt was best and we just wanted to try Sandrine round a bend. She slightly blew the bend in the Coronation Stakes, but I thought she handled it really well today.”
“She looked like she would win the Falmouth at one stage and probably just didn't quite get home. We just felt that if she was effective at seven furlongs, she could be a filly for the Prix de la Foret as she goes on any ground. We just wanted to try her round a right-handed bend before that and it's worked out well. She doesn't have a penalty in the City Of York Stakes, so that could be a stepping-stone.”
“Like Alcohol Free in the Spring, for whatever reason the horses were slower to come to hand than usual but it's nice to have understanding and patient owners who know the game. You're not under the same pressure you could be. We just found our way to here with Sandrine and now she has the rest of the season to kick on.”
Ralph Beckett said of Kinross, “He is brave and has run another proper race. Frankie felt that he was a couple of lengths further back than he would have liked and that has cost him, but he has run his race. That is all you can ask for.” Pogo's trainer Charlie Hills commented, “Unfortunately, they have put too much water on for him today. He just could not get his feet out. He has run a great race again. He was just starting to come again, but on that bend it is too loose and does not suit him.”
Sandrine is the second foal out of Seychelloise (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), whose first is the useful 4-year-old Sea The Shells (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) who was fourth in last year's Listed Fairway S. She is a daughter of the G3 Prix d'Arenberg winner and G2 Queen Mary S. runner-up Starlit Sands (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), while the third dam is the G3 Silken Glider S. third Shimmering Sea (GB) (Slip Anchor {GB}). A half to the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S.-winning sire Petoski (GB) (Niniski), she produced the Scandinavian champion Sea Dane (GB) (Danehill) and the dams of the G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner Songerie (GB) (Hernando {Fr}), the G1 Oaks d'Italia third Souvenance (GB) (Hernando {Fr}) and the G3 Ridgewood Pearl S. winner Chigun (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Seychelloise's 2-year-old colt Roaring Ralph (GB) (Roaring Lion) was a 65,000gns purchase by Michael Dods at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2, while she also has a yearling son of Study of Man (Ire).
Tuesday, Goodwood, Britain
WORLD POOL LENNOX S.-G2, £180,000, Goodwood, 7-26, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:24.58, gd.
1–SANDRINE (GB), 121, f, 3, by Bobby's Kitten
1st Dam: Seychelloise (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Starlit Sands (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
3rd Dam: Shimmering Sea (GB), by Slip Anchor (GB)
O/B-Miss K Rausing (GB); T-Andrew Balding; J-David Probert. £102,078. Lifetime Record: MG1SP-Eng, 9-4-1-2, $386,741. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Kinross (GB), 131, g, 5, Kingman (GB)–Ceilidh House (GB), by Selkirk. O-Mr Marc Chan; B-Lawn Stud (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. £38,700.
3–Pogo (Ire), 131, h, 6, Zebedee (GB)–Cute (GB), by Diktat (GB). (€10,500 Wlg '16 GOFNOV; £32,000 Ylg '17 GOUKPR). O-Gary and Linnet Woodward; B-Thomas Foy (IRE); T-Charles Hills. £19,368.
Margins: NK, SHD, 3/4. Odds: 12.00, 4.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Happy Power (Ire), Sacred (GB), Ever Given (Ire), Lusail (Ire), Laneqash (GB), Sir Dancealot (Ire), Gubbass (Ire), Lord Of The Lodge (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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