Friendly Soul (GB)

Ten Years on from the G1 Prix de l'Opera victory of her half-sister We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), George Strawbridge's Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}--In Clover {GB}, by Inchinor {GB}) stepped up to emulate her feat in ParisLongchamp's Longines-sponsored contest on Sunday. Brought through the educative stepping stones of Ascot's G3 Valiant Stakes and Deauville's G2 Prix Alec Head by John and Thady Gosden, the 9-1 shot tracked the early leader in second travelling sweetly. Committed by Kieran Shoemark two out, the 3-year-old responded generously to assert her superiority and...

   Firmly back on track following her blip in the Musidora, George Strawbridge's Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}--In Clover {GB}, by Inchinor {GB}) backed up her latest win in Ascot's G3 Valiant Stakes with another in Sunday's G2 Sumbe Prix Alec Head at Deauville. Returning to the 10-furlong trip over which she had impressed in Newmarket's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes and disappointed in York's Oaks trial in May, the John and Thady Gosden-trained homebred was sent to the front soon after the start by Kieran Shoemark as she had been...

Bouncing back from her disappointing effort in the G3 Musidora Stakes, George Strawbridge's Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}--In Clover {GB}, by Inchinor {GB}) relished the drop to a mile to boss Ascot's G3 Longines Valiant Stakes on Saturday. Only seventh in that York Oaks trial in May, the homebred half-sister to the group 1 winners With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) who had previously impressed when taking Newmarket's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes earlier that month was soon in front...

We already knew we were dealing with an Oaks filly in Juddmonte's Kalpana (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) prior to Sunday's Listed William Hill Pretty Polly S. at Newmarket, but now we have another after George Strawbridge's Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}--In Clover {GB}), by Inchinor {GB}) took her measure in an epic renewal of the 10-furlong Classic trial. To the fore soon after the start under Kieran Shoemark, the 10-1 shot who scored on debut  at Kempton in December had everything on the stretch bar that 4-6 favourite heading...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features Kalidasa, a 2.8 million gns Tattersalls October purchase.   18.00 Kempton, £6,800, Nov, 2yo, 8f (AWT) Charlie Appleby representative KALIDASA (GB) (Frankel {GB}) hit the heights at last year's Tattersalls October Book 1 fixture when knocked down to Godolphin for 2.8-million guineas. The March-foaled bay is...