By Tom Frary
Unable to live with Carla's Way (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus) when outmanoeuvred and outspeeded in the G2 Rockfel S. at Newmarket last month, Shuwari (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) and Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) face an entirely different test on Friday as they compete in the track's feature G1 Fillies' Mile. In all likelihood, fast ground over seven furlongs suited neither filly and now that the rain has come the kind of bias that proved ideal for Carla's Way's style will have disappeared. We know that Shuwari is made of the right material based on her prior defeat of Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in the Listed Star S. at Sandown in July, hours before Ylang Ylang proved worthy of her TDN Rising Star status when capturing Leopardstown's G3 Silver Flash S. The question now is how they match up on a level playing field.
Shuwari's trainer Ollie Sangster commented, “She's a straightforward horse who relaxes and settles well and I can't see the step up in trip being a problem. It's nice to have a chance in a race like this and hopefully she will run well for us.” Ryan Moore said of Ylang Ylang, “She was taken off her feet a bit on quick ground over seven furlongs here last time, so the step up to a mile will suit and she has form on soft if we get a lot of rain. I'd like to think she is the filly to beat if returning to the form of her Leopardstown win.”
This is probably no match, with Doreen Tabor's Sandown maiden winner Classical Song (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) one of the lesser-exposed types held in high regard. Jeff Smith's G2 May Hill S. runner-up See The Fire (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Anthony O'Callaghan and Sabina Kelly's G3 Weld Park S. scorer Caught U Looking (Ire) (Harzand {Ire}) look capable of better and have little to find to get to the level of the main protagonists.
Smith's racing manager David Bowe said, “She still ran a bit green in the May Hill and has come on since then mentally. We're hoping that she will do us proud and she is obviously a really smart filly and we'll see how she fares. She has a really stout pedigree and she has the looks to go with it. She's a beautifully-proportioned filly and just neat and tidy for a two-year-old. We're very lucky that both her and Ghostwriter seem to be in good shape for the obvious next year. We don't want to tempt fate and get too excited, but it's nice to have a couple of nice horses on the books and we're in good shape.”
Skellet To The Test In The Oh So Sharp…
Also on the card is the seven-furlong G3 Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp S., which features Juddmonte's recent acquisition Skellet (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). Earning TDN Rising Star status over this trip at Salisbury last month, the Ralph Beckett-trained half-sister to Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy) is met by Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's comparatively vastly-experienced four-times winner Chic Colombine (Fr) (Seahenge) and Godolphin's course-and-distance scorer Dance Sequence (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Juddmonte's racing manager Barry Mahon said of Skellet, “We're looking forward to seeing her out and we'll find out a bit more about her. It looks a good race–Charlie Appleby's filly looked very good the day she won. Ours is a big filly and it's all about next year with her, but it will be good to give her a bit more experience. She has a beautiful pedigree [and] the fact she's by Kingman made her extra appealing.”
City Of Troy Faces Seven In The Dewhurst…
Saturday's G1 Native Trail's Dewhurst S. at Newmarket will see Coolmore's TDN Rising Star City Of Troy (Justify) make his eagerly-awaited third start as he looks to seal juvenile champion honours. Kept away from slow ground after his win in the July Festival's G2 Superlative S., he may have to deal with those conditions with rain expected ahead of the seven-furlong highlight. He will be joined by stablemate Henry Adams (Ire) (No Nay Never), who is to be partnered by Frankie Dettori, with Aidan O'Brien withdrawing Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Johannes Brahms (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). Three of the main rivals to the favourite will be Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud's G2 Champagne S. winner Iberian (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Shadwell's G3 Tattersalls S. scorer Alyanaabi (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Juddmonte's supplemented G2 Mill Reef S. winner Array (Ire) (No Nay Never).
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