By Tom Frary
Returning to the course and distance of her G3 Lester Piggott Stakes win, Qatar Racing's prized homebred Queen Of The Pride (GB) (Roaring Lion–Simple Verse {Ire), by Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) mastered Saturday's G2 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock to continue her upward trajectory. Held up by Oisin Murphy throughout the early stages, the John and Thady Gosden-trained 100-30 second favourite moved powerfully to Tiffany (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and drew away from that 85-40 favourite to win by three lengths, with the Lester Piggott Stakes runner-up Lady Boba (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) a further half-length away in third. This proved to be the penultimate on the card, with a slippery home turn rated too dangerous for racing to continue.
“She really relaxed today and jumped and travelled,” her jockey said. “I thought we went a good, even pace and I was quite cautious of the bend so I went from following Luke Morris [on Tiffany] quite closely to giving him a few lengths head start at the top of the straight. I was really pleased with how she picked up and she ran right the way through the line. We all thought after she won her last race here that something like the [G1] Prix de Royallieu would be a good long-term target and I'm sure that's in John and Thady's mind.”
Pedigree Notes
Queen Of The Pride, who had been runner-up in the Listed Daisy Warwick Fillies' S. at Goodwood in May on only her third career start, is out of the operation's G1 St Leger and G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. heroine Simple Verse. She is in turn a half to the G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Evensong (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who produced the listed winner and G1 Criterium International runner-up Espionage (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). From the family of the G1 Irish Derby-winning sire Law Society, her unraced 2-year-old colt Delta (GB) is by Roaring Lion's sire Kitten's Joy.
Queen Of The Pride 🦁bolts up in the Gr.2 Lancashire Oaks!
The @Qatar_Racing homebred was born and raised at Tweenhills and is out of their Classic winner Simple Verse, by the much missed Roaring Lion!
Congratulations to all connections 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/NJNlzxOJiR
— Tweenhills (@Tweenhills) July 6, 2024
Saturday, Haydock, Britain
BET365 LANCASHIRE OAKS-G2, £125,000, Haydock, 7-6, 3yo/up, f/m, 11f 175yT, 2:31.40, gd.
1–QUEEN OF THE PRIDE (GB), 133, f, 4, by Roaring Lion
1st Dam: Simple Verse (Ire) (MG1SW-Eng, $1,456,105), by Duke Of Marmalade (Ire)
2nd Dam: Guantanamera (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Bluffing (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
(115,000gns 2yo '22 TATMA). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-The Simple Verse Partnership (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Oisin Murphy. £70,888. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $174,960. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Tiffany (Ire), 133, f, 4, Farhh (GB)–Affinity (GB), by Sadler's Wells. O/B-Elite Racing Club (IRE); T-Sir Mark Prescott. £26,875.
3–Lady Boba (GB), 133, f, 4, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Moi Meme (GB), by Teofilo (Ire). (160,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Andrew Rosen & Barry K Schwartz; B-Fortescue Bloodstock (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. £13,450.
Margins: 3, HF, 3 1/4. Odds: 3.33, 2.13, 4.00.
Also Ran: Sweet Memories (Ire), Novus (Ire), Sea Theme (Ire), Kolossal (Ger), Forest Fairy (Ire).
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