No Nay Never's Array Wins The Mill Reef

With the ground riding heavy at Newbury, Saturday's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. had the potential to become a war of attrition and ultimately it was Juddmonte's Array (Ire) (No Nay Never–Joyeuse {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) who proved toughest. Off the mark in a Newmarket novice before finishing third in the G3 Sirenia S. over this six-furlong trip at Kempton earlier this month, the Andrew Balding-trained homebred was placed near the fore by Oisin Murphy from the outset. Committed passing two out, the 7-4 favourite was forced to scrap late to ward off Mister Sketch (GB) (Territories {Ire}) but proved equal to score by half a length, with Seven Questions (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) a short head away in third.

For the trainer, the success has special meaning being named after his father's brilliant figurehead of the 70s. “Obviously this race is important to our family,” he said. “We try to find one for it, but dad trained our last winner, Firebreak, while I've had two seconds and a third before this. I can't see why this won't be a horse with a big future and Oisin thinks it would be worth trying him over further. It's not impossible he will get a mile. He was very tough today and has a great mind on him. The Middle Park is too soon and if he was supplemented into the Dewhurst, it would need a unanimous decision.”

🏆 The Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes 🏆

🥇 Array
🥈 Mister Sketch
🥉 Seven Questions

Array bests them all in the historic £90,000 Group 2 feature race 🤩@oismurphy | @AndrewBalding2 | @JuddmonteFarms pic.twitter.com/GpOWdCtbJk

— Newbury Racecourse (@NewburyRacing) September 23, 2023

Pedigree Notes
Array is the sixth foal and first group winner for the dual listed scorer and multiple group 3-placed Joyeuse, who also produced the G1 Turnbull S. and G1 Doomben Cup runner-up Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G1 Coronation S. third Jubiloso (GB) (Shamardal). The second dam needs no introduction as the dual listed winner Kind (Ire) (Danehill), responsible for the operation's giant and leading sire Frankel (GB) and his three-times group 1-winning full-brother Noble Mission (GB). Also related to the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and G1 Arlington Million hero Powerscourt (GB) (Sadler's Wells), Joyeuse has a yearling colt by Wootton Bassett (GB).

Saturday, Newbury, Britain
DUBAI DUTY FREE MILL REEF S.-G2, £90,000, Newbury, 9-23, 2yo, 6fT, 1:17.29, hy.
1–ARRAY (IRE), 129, c, 2, by No Nay Never
          1st Dam: Joyeuse (GB) (MSW & MGSP-Eng, GSP-Ire, $146,691), by Oasis Dream (GB)
          2nd Dam: Kind (Ire), by Danehill
          3rd Dam: Rainbow Lake (GB), by Rainbow Quest
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd. (IRE); T-Andrew M. Balding; J-Oisin Murphy. £58,014. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-1, $107,729. *1/2 to Jubiloso (GB) (Shamardal), G1SP-Eng; 1/2 to Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), MG1SP-Aus, MSP-Eng, $421,991. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mister Sketch (GB), 129, c, 2, Territories (Ire)–Drawing (GB), by Dark Angel (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Wathnan Racing; B-Norman Court Stud (GB); T-Eve Johnson Houghton. £21,995.
3–Seven Questions (Ire), 129, g, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Get Up And Dance (GB), by Makfi (GB). (£58,000 Ylg '22 GOFFUK). O-Victorious Racing & Fawzi Nass; B-Tally Ho Stud (IRE); T-George Scott. £11,007.
Margins: HF, SHD, NO. Odds: 1.75, 2.50, 7.00.
Also Ran: Spanish Phoenix (Ire), Haatem (Ire), Matters Most (GB). Scratched: Red Zone Hero (Ire), Roman Emperor (GB).