Free Wind (Ire)

Goodwood's Qatar Festival winds down on Saturday, with the feature G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes looking an open affair for the staying fillies and mares. George Strawbridge's Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was only fourth behind the re-opposing first and second Sumo Sam (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and River Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in this 12 months ago and Thady Gosden is hoping she can regain the winning thread that she lost after last year's G2 Middleton Stakes. "Last year in the Lilly Langtry, it was unfortunate there...

Charlie Appleby is hoping for another break in the weather ahead of the reappearance of TDN Rising Star Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) in York's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. on Thursday. Last year's G1 Futurity Trophy and G3 Autumn S. winner is a key member of the Derby cast at present, but his obvious preference for softer conditions leads connections into a quandary ahead of this trial. "The ground will be a question mark and we will want the rain to come," Appleby said. "We know that...

As if conjuring the renowned Babet as a personal Tempest for his [probable] European goodbye, racing's true Duke of Milan rides back into his beloved Ascot on Saturday as the eye of the storm for a suitably dramatic instalment of the Qipco Champions Day. While this fixture has fast become a resounding success, despite its mid-October nook being that bit too far into the wet season to deliver a fair playing field, it always needs at least one dynamo per year to power it into the headlines. Officials are lucky...

Day 2 of York's Ebor Festival plays host to a stellar edition of the G1 Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks and features a mouthwatering rematch between the G1 Irish Oaks first and second Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}). The former's trainer, Aidan O'Brien, has annexed six editions since the turn of the century, but is still three shy of the record nine held jointly by Mathew Dawson and Sir Michael Stoute. Savethelastdance's three career wins, which include a 22-length romp in May's Listed Cheshire Oaks, have all...

George Strawbridge's 5-year-old mare Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Alive Alive Oh {GB}, by Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), seen out just once since 2021, was fit and raring to go for Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' S. at York and collected a fourth straight pattern-race rosette with a narrow victory in the extended 10-furlong contest. The April-foaled bay, whose resume also features wins in the G3 Prix Minerve, G2 Park Hill S. and G2 Lancashire Oaks, was settled off a sedate pace in sixth until turning for home....

   With the Derby picture unclear, it is probably welcome that Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. has no stand-out among its dozen participants. George Strawbridge's TDN Rising Star Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) bids to continue the momentum of the Gosdens and Frankie following the Musidora and step forward from his seasonal debut much as his stablemate Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) did on Wednesday. On the face of it, a workmanlike defeat of inferior rivals in Epsom's 10-furlong Listed Blue Riband Trial would not be enough to...

George Strawbridge's 4-year-old filly Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Alive Alive Oh {GB}, by Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) prevailed in three out of four starts last term and closed her sophomore campaign with a seven-length rout in September's G3 Park Hill S. at Doncaster. She was sent postward as the 11-4 joint-favourite for Saturday's G2 bet365 Lancashire Oaks, her seasonal return, and overcame severe traffic problems in the closing stages of the 12-furlong test to register a career high in taking fashion. The eventual winner settled into a smooth rhythm behind...

George Strawbridge's 325,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 acquisition Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was the stylish winner of Deauville's G3 Prix Minerve last month and simply outclassed overmatched rivals with a seven-length rout in Thursday's G2 Hippo Pro3 Park Hill Fillies' S. over the full G1 St Leger trip. The upwardly mobile sophomore had encountered the reopposing Golden Pass (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) when a 3/4-of-a-length runner-up to that rival in July's Listed Aphrodite Fillies' S. at Newmarket in her penultimate start and exacted revenge in style. The well-backed 15-8...