By Tom Frary
Friday's G3 Jenningsbet Hoppings Fillies S. at Newcastle represented one of the early skirmishes between the Classic generation and the older fillies and mares and it boiled down to a battle between two members of the former category with Poptronic (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) emerging on top of Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Pitched into this by Karl Burke on the back of a five-length novice success over nearly 11 furlongs at Ripon at the start of the month, David and Yvonne Blunt's homebred looked to be doing too much early with Sam James keen to restrain her behind the pace. Keeping enough in reserve for the pursuit of fellow 3-year-old Rogue Millennium in the straight, the 8-1 shot gained the advantage at the furlong pole and stayed on to score by a length.
Poptronic, who was also successful on Wolverhampton's Tapeta over an extended mile in late December, has a big date on her dance card now. “We talked about the Yorkshire Oaks at the Ebor meeting, so I would imagine that will be her target if she was good enough,” Burke said. “She obviously proved herself good enough today to have a go at it. They went pretty steady early, but we didn't really want to make it with her. She is a bit keen, but Sam said she looks a bit keener than she actually is. He said she wasn't too bad, but swings her head around a little bit. It was a great performance and she is obviously a filly on the up.”
The dam Alpine Dream (Ire) (Dream Ahead), a daughter of the G2 Lowther S. winner Infamous Angel (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) connected to the G3 Hotham S. runner-up Mankayan (Ire) (Intello {Ger}). Her unraced 2-year-old filly is by Brazen Beau (Aus).
Friday, Newcastle, Britain
JENNINGSBET HOPPINGS FILLIES S.-G3, £60,000, Newcastle, 6-24, 3yo/up, f/m, 10f 42y (AWT), 2:13.12, st/sl.
1–POPTRONIC (GB), 121, f, 3, by Nathaniel (Ire)
1st Dam: Alpine Dream (Ire), by Dream Ahead
2nd Dam: Infamous Angel (GB), by Exceed and Excel (Aus)
3rd Dam: Evangeline (GB), by Sadler's Wells
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-David & Yvonne Blunt (GB); T-Karl Burke; J-Sam James. £34,026. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $57,057. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Rogue Millennium (Ire), 121, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Hawaafez (GB), by Nayef.
1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (35,000gns 2yo '21 TATMA). O-The Rogues Gallery; B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited (IRE); T-Tom Clover. £12,900.
3–Pearl Beach (GB), 133, m, 5, Footstepsinthesand (GB)–Western Pearl (GB), by High Chaparral (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Mr & Mrs N Welby (GB); T-William Knight. £6,456.
Margins: 1, 1HF, 2. Odds: 8.00, 2.75, 7.50.
Also Ran: Moon de Vega (GB), Ad Infinitum (GB), Angel Power (GB), Potapova (GB), Auria (GB), Lower Street (GB). Scratched: My Astra (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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