Sioux Nation's Matilda Picotte Dominates The Challenge

One of racing's true front-running forces at the niche seven-furlong trip, Matilda Picotte (Ire) (Sioux Nation) followed her tour de force in Doncaster's G3 Sceptre S. with another in Newmarket's G2 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge S. on Friday.

Back at the track at which she had won last year's Listed Bosra Sham Fillies' S. and at which she was a gallant third in the G1 1000 Guineas, Kieran Cotter-trained 3-year-old proved relentless at the head of affairs to score by 2 3/4 lengths from compatriot Lord Massusus (Ire) (Markaz {Ire}).

“I was a bit concerned she might falter in the last 100 yards, but she's so much pace and she's so genuine and they have to work hard to get to her,” Cotter said of the 2-1 second favourite. “Her last couple of runs have been outstanding. I've been saying to the lads for a while that you wouldn't see the best of her until the backend of her 3-year-old season and she's just got better and better. Oisin [Murphy] said today he was going too fast and she was aggressive early, but you can't fight her, he just lets her roll and she's incredibly tough.”

“I don't know if she'll run again this year,” her trainer added of the winner, who was announced on the same day as being due to sell in the upcoming Goffs November Breeding Stock auction. “There is the Breeders' Cup, who knows? There'll be a lot of races for her next year, if we have her. I think she has an entry in the sales, but the lads were saying if she won well today they might keep her. She's a horse of a lifetime and it's been a fairy tale for all the lads.”

Pedigree Notes

Matilda Picotte is the last known foal out of the G3 C. L. Weld Park S. third Hallie's Comet (Ire) (One Cool Cat), whose half-siblings include the dual listed-winning and multiple group-placed Along Came Casey (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}). She is in turn the dam of Feliciana De Vega (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), whose career high came when winning this weekend's G3 Darley S., while the family also features the GI Beverly D. S. heroine Fire The Groom (Blushing Groom {Fr}) and her brilliant G1 July Cup and G1 Nunthorpe S.-winning son Stravinsky.

Friday, Newmarket, Britain
THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY EMPLOYEE AWARDS CHALLENGE S.-G2, £125,000, Newmarket, 10-13, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:25.28, sf.
1–MATILDA PICOTTE (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Sioux Nation
                1st Dam: Hallie's Comet (Ire) (GSP-Ire, MSP-Fr,
                                $109,851), by One Cool Cat
                2nd Dam: Secretariat's Tap, by Pleasant Tap
                3rd Dam: Secretariat's Fire, by Secretariat
O-Matilda & Kilmichael Racing Partnership; B-Mighty Universe
Ltd (IRE); T-Kieran Cotter; J-Oisin Murphy. £70,888. Lifetime
Record: G1SP-Eng & MGSP-Ire, 13-4-3-3, $392,153. Werk Nick
   Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or
   the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lord Massusus (Ire), 129, g, 3, Markaz (Ire)–Wajaha (Ire), by
Haafhd (GB). O-John N Bourke; B-Longrove Stud (IRE); T-J G
Murphy. £26,875.
3–Audience (GB), 131, g, 4, Iffraaj (GB)–Ladyship (GB), by Oasis
Dream (GB). O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Limited (GB); T-John &
Thady Gosden. £13,450.
Margins: 2 3/4, 2 3/4, HF. Odds: 2.00, 12.00, 2.25.
Also Ran: Chindit (Ire). Scratched: Pogo (Ire), Shouldvebeenaring (GB). VIDEO.