By Sean Cronin
Coolmore's Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}–Mecca's Angel {Ire}, by Dark Angel {Ire}) embellished a 'TDN Rising Star' debut performance with wide-margin wins in the Listed Chesham Stakes and G3 Silver Flash and continued her winning streak with a battling display in Saturday's G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes at the Curragh. Her half-length victory provided trainer Aidan O'Brien with a record-extending 14h triumph in the seven-furlong fillies' test.
Bedtime Story was steadied to race fourth through the initial stages and improved one spot approaching halfway. Shaken up when taking closer order with a quarter-mile remaining, the prohibitively priced 1-16 favourite quickened to challenge passing the furlong pole and was ridden out to deny stablemate Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in ultimately snug fashion. Long-time leader Barnavara (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) was a tough nut to crack and kept on well in the closing stages to finish a neck adrift in third.
“We didn't want to go too fast today as it was a prep for the next day,” explained O'Brien. “She has a lot of speed early and Ryan [Moore] was lovely on her as we didn't want to empty her out today. She needed to get down and race a little bit late, but we couldn't be happier really. She'll go for the [G1] Moyglare now. [Runner-up] Exactly wants a mile, but she is improving.”
The winners continue to roll in for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore, as Bedtime Story puts the Group 2 Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes to bed in the final strides 👏 pic.twitter.com/iaN6pdeWoh
— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) August 24, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Bedtime Story, the fifth of six foals, is one of two pattern-race winners produced by dual G1 Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), herself a full-sister to G3 Chipchase Stakes and G3 Criterion Stakes-winning sire Markaz (Ire). Her second dam Folga (Ire) (Atraaf {Ire}), who ran second in the Listed Lansdown Fillies' Stakes, is a half-sister to Listed Prix de Lieurey victrix Desert Kaya (Fr) (Bikala {Ire}). Both are daughters of G3 Prix d'Arenberg winner Desert Dawn (GB) (Belfort {Fr}). Mecca's Angel has a weanling filly by Frankel (GB) to come.
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
ALPHA CENTAURI DEBUTANTE STAKES-G2, €120,000, Curragh, 8-24, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:23.82, gd.
1–BEDTIME STORY (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Mecca's Angel (Ire) (MG1SW-Eng, GSW & G1SP-Fr, GSW-Ire, $999,035), by Dark Angel (Ire)
2nd Dam: Folga (GB), by Atraf (GB)
3rd Dam: Desert Dawn (GB), by Belfort (Fr)
TDN Rising Star. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €72,000. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 4-4-0-0, $200,283. *1/2 to Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G1SW-Eng, GSW & MG1SP-Ire, $636,469. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Exactly (Ire), 128, f, 2, Frankel (GB)–Heartache (GB), by Kyllachy (GB). O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €24,000.
3–Barnavara (Ire), 128, f, 2, Calyx (GB)–Alfea (GB), by Kentucky Dynamite. (€70,000 Ylg '23 GOFOR). O-Alpha Racing; B-Andriy Milovonov & Viktor Tymoshenko (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €12,000.
Margins: HF, NK, 7HF. Odds: 0.06, 8.50, 14.00.
Also Ran: Eastern Peace (Ire), Senna's Girl (Ire). Scratched: Bubbling (Ire).
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