By Sean Cronin
Amo Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Persian Dreamer (Calyx {GB}–Surprisingly {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), fresh off a fourth-place finish in last month's G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot, upset the odds with an impressive display for a career high in Friday's G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. over Newmarket's six-furlong strip. She was restrained in rear after an alert break and inched forward into a handy third before halfway. Nudged along passing the quarter-mile marker, the 5-1 second choice quickened in style to launch her bid entering the final furlong and kept on powerfully under mild urging thereafter to upset 1-6 favourite and 'TDN Rising Star' Star Of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) by 1 3/4 lengths. Persian Dreamer becomes the first pattern-race winner for trainer Dominic Ffrench Davis and the first black-type winner for her freshman sire (by Kingman {GB}). The €145,000 Goffs Orby yearling debuted in taking fashion to earn her TDN benchmark over five furlongs at the town's Rowley Mile venue in April, but slipped to fourth in the following month's Listed Marygate Fillies' S. at York in her penultimate start.
Amo Racing supremo Kia Joorabchian, celebrating his 52nd birthday, said, “We've loved this filly from day one. She had one unfortunate midfield run [at York], but ever since she's been wonderful. She's very quick and it worked out very well today. She's beaten a 1-6 favourite and well thought of Godolphin horse so we will look at Group 1 options.”
Dominic Ffrench Davis, on the occasion of registering his first pattern-race success, added, “It's a relief to get there at last. She's a smashing filly and she's done nothing wrong all year really, but she needs to get her toe into the ground. We were praying for the rain today and it has come. I was saying before the race that I didn't wear a jacket in the hope it would rain. She was the last horse off the bridle at Ascot and she just doesn't let herself down when the ground is as fast as that. It was proper fast ground, but there was no jar and she's been able to come here not that long afterwards and run a top race. She's a big, strong filly and that's probably why she doesn't go on the fast ground, but I think she's a lovely filly going forward. When she won on the Rowley Mile I thought she could make up into a [G1 1000] Guineas horse and she gives you that sort of impression.”
Star Of Mystery's trainer Charlie Appleby reflected, “Fair play to the winner. They have got a nice tow, got the cover and picked us up. Small fields can become messier than a big-field event, but full credit to the winner. Our filly didn't lose too much in defeat and I think she will be better when she can get a bit of cover. At the end of the day, we know it is tough on the front end with a bit of a headwind. We did enough early on, and it just paid that last couple of hundred yards. We will carry on down the [sprinting] route with her. Whether we look at the [G2] Lowther or hold on I don't know. She is a filly that is a this-year filly on the scope of her.”
Pedigree Notes
Persian Dreamer, who becomes the first stakes winner for her freshman sire (by Kingman {GB}), is a half-sister to 'TDN Rising Star' Queen Olly (Ire) (No Nay Never), who hit the board in this contest last year. She is the fourth of six foals and also kin to a yearling colt by Into Mischief and a weanling colt by American Pharoah. Persian Dreamer's dam Surprisingly (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is out of G3 Ballyogan S. victrix and G1 Golden Jubilee third Lesson In Humility (Ire) (Mujadil) and thus a full-sister to G3 Kilternan S. victor and G1 Irish Derby runner-up Tiger Moth (Ire) and G3 Balanchine S. second Butterscotch (Ire). Surprisingly is also a half-sister to stakes-winning G2 Norfolk S. and G2 Railway S. placegetter Coach House (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}).
Friday, Newmarket, Britain
BET365 DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE S.-G2, £100,000, Newmarket, 7-14, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:13.66, gd.
1–PERSIAN DREAMER, 128, f, 2, by Calyx (GB)
1st Dam: Surprisingly (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Lesson In Humility (Ire), by Mujadil
3rd Dam: Vanity (Ire), by Thatching (Ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'.
(€145,000 Ylg '22 GOFOR). O-Amo Racing Ltd; B-Diamond
Creek Farm (KY); T-Dominic Ffrench Davis; J-Kevin Stott.
£56,710. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $105,193. *1/2 to Queen
Olly (Ire) (No Nay Never), GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Star Of Mystery (GB), 128, f, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Mistrusting (Ire),
by Shamardal. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. 'TDN Rising Star'.
O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £21,500.
3–Woodhay Wonder (GB), 128, f, 2, Tamayuz (GB)–Luang
Prabang (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST
GROUP BLACK TYPE. (26,000gns Ylg '22 TATSOM). O-Matthew
Webber & Toby Ward; B-Des Thurlby (GB); T-Tom Ward.
£10,760.
Margins: 1 3/4, 3HF, 7HF. Odds: 5.00, 0.17, 28.00.
Also Ran: Thanksbutnothanks (Ire). Scratched: Soprano (Ire). VIDEO.
'TDN Rising Star' PERSIAN DREAMER (Calyx @coolmorestud) secures victory in the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. at @NewmarketRace! pic.twitter.com/wm38fsJqwi
— TDN (@theTDN) July 14, 2023
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