By Tom Frary
Two major international tests of the autumn await the dynamic Soldier's Call (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) after the diminutive sprinter dominated Friday's G2 Wainwrights Flying Childers S. at Doncaster. Sent straight to the lead by Danny Tudhope as he had been when winning the June 23 Listed Windsor Castle S. and Sept. 1 G3 Prix d'Arenberg, the 4-1 second favourite had all rivals on the stretch inside the final quarter mile and galloped relentlessly to a 2 1/4-length verdict over Well Done Fox (GB) (Acclamation {GB}). “He's got to go for a group 1 now and it's a choice of either the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye [at ParisLongchamp Oct. 7] or the [Nov. 2] Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint or both,” trainer Archie Watson said. “He recorded a faster time than Marsha when she won the Abbaye over the same trip at Chantilly last time and he'd be getting a load of weight from the older horses in the Abbaye. When he gets a good break he's impossible to catch and on this track he could really stretch out. We ran Corinthia Knight in the Breeders Cup race on the undercard last year and we'd be delighted to go back–the 5 1/2 furlongs around a turn would suit the European 5-furlong horses.”
Soldier's Call, who overcame a potentially tricky post position when upstaging several useful peers in Royal Ascot's Windsor Castle, had finished third behind Rumble Inthejungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) when favourite in Goodwood's G3 Molecomb S. Aug. 1 before returning to his best in the Prix d'Arenberg. Watson believes he had excuses in the Molecomb. “It was his fault, but he got a bump leaving the stalls there and got a bit behind,” he said. “He didn't really like the downhill there either. Further ahead, he's more likely to be a King's Stand than a Commonwealth Cup horse next year. He's got a round action, but has acted on fast so the ground wouldn't bother me.”
The dam, who also has a yearling filly by Canford Cliffs (Ire) and a colt foal by The Last Lion (Ire), was successful in the Listed Prix la Fleche and third in the G3 Railbird S. Her half-sister Baileys Applause (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) produced last year's G2 Lowther S. and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. third Mamba Noire (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).
Friday, Doncaster, Britain
WAINWRIGHTS FLYING CHILDERS S.-G2, £70,000, Doncaster, 9-14, 2yo, 5f 3yT, :59.08, gd.
1–SOLDIER'S CALL (GB), 127, c, 2, by Showcasing (GB)
1st Dam: Dijarvo (GB) (SW-Fr & GSP-US), by Iceman (GB)
2nd Dam: Thicket (GB), by Wolfhound
3rd Dam: Sharpthorne, by Sharpen Up (GB)
(85,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-Clipper Logistics; B-Llety Farms (GB); T-Archie Watson; J-Daniel Tudhope. £39,697. Lifetime Record: GSW-Fr, 6-4-1-1, $187,972. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Well Done Fox (GB), 127, c, 2, Acclamation (GB)–Excelette (Ire), by Exceed and Excel (Aus). (255,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-Crossfields Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Richard Hannon. £15,050.
3–Gossamer Wings, 124, f, 2, Scat Daddy–Lavender Baby, by Rubiano. ($500,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-O M Patrick (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. £7,532.
Margins: 2 1/4, HF, NK. Odds: 4.00, 10.00, 9.00.
Also Ran: Legends of War, Shumookhi (Ire), Indigo Balance (Ire), Little Kim (GB), Vintage Brut (GB), Rumble Inthejungle (Ire). Scratched: Semoum, Deia Glory (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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