Dansili's Shutter Speed Takes Musidora, Diane Is Next

Heavy rain at York threatened the participation of TDN Rising Star Shutter Speed in this Oaks trial and certainly took any potential shine off her performance, but the Juddmonte filly had the talent to rise above adversity and book her ticket to the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly June 18. Despite having won on ground on the easy side on her sole juvenile outing at Yarmouth in October, the homebred had clearly thrived on good-to-firm when reintroduced in the 10-furlong conditions event at Newbury Apr. 21 that had played host to Light Shift (Kingmambo) in 2007. The third home in that race, Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), successfully carried the Gosden stable's mantle and bolstered Shutter Speed's celebrity status when capturing the Listed Cheshire Oaks last week, while the soundly-beaten fourth Temple Church (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) had since finished a close-up third in the Listed Prix Matchem. Nevertheless, it took a course-walk by her trainer and some deliberation to allow her to take up this engagement.

Tending to over-race for Frankie Dettori in third throughout the early stages, the bay followed Miss Infinity (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) and was still full of effort despite her earlier tendencies when delivered to lead approaching the two-furlong pole. Pressed by Vintage Folly from there, Shutter Speed had to call upon some of her reserves to maintain her dominion over that unexposed rival who was followed by another of that ilk in Serenada. “We got away with it, but she didn't like the very soft ground and it dented her turn of foot,” Dettori explained. “She was much the best horse in the race, but I could feel it was hard work for her. I think you will see a better horse on better ground and she is top drawer. She has a lot of presence about her and everything she does is very classy. I would say that a mile and a quarter is just about right for her.”

For Gosden, the decision to continue her education was ultimately a successful one despite the pre-race doubts but he was keen to stress that the next stage of her tuition will take place in France and not Epsom. “Sadly, we had a massive amount of rain but the ground was in pristine condition before racing and so we decided to run,” he commented after collecting a sixth renewal and fifth since 2011. “She hated it, but had the class to win anyhow and will go to the Diane, as she will have a nice month to get over this. It stretched her stamina here. She is a top-of-the-ground filly, but can go on this ground if it comes up that way at Chantilly. I've been there when it has been firm and who knows what ground we will get this summer. I always thought she was the best of our fillies last year and she is very much a mile-and-a-quarter horse. I trained the second dam Prophecy to win the Cheveley Park over six and this is also the family of Arabesque (GB) (Zafonic), Camacho (GB) and Showcasing (GB), so there is a bundle of speed on the dam's side. I wouldn't be running her in any [Epsom] Oaks.”

Hugo Palmer was both delighted and frustrated by the runner-up finish of Vintage Folly, who is due to step up in trip now. “I came here hoping to be third and will go home disappointed I was second,” he said. “A better draw and bigger field would have helped and I'm left thinking what might have been, as she was a bit gassy and there was no gallop. It turned into a five-furlong race which suited the high-class winner who has the turn of foot that we lack. She'll run next where the word 'soft' appears in the going description and she wants every inch of a mile and a half. If the word appeared at Epsom, I will be talking to the owner about it. She's very balanced, has a lovely attitude and should have no problem going round Epsom. She is also in the [G2] Ribblesdale [S. at Royal Ascot June 22] and will also be put in the [G1] Irish Oaks [at The Curragh July 15] and could be a St Leger horse–James [Doyle] thinks she'll get a mile and six. She's a proper old-fashioned staying filly.”

Roger Varian is also looking at stretching out Serenada. “She made an eye-catching move halfway up the straight, couldn't quite follow it through but stayed on all the way to the line, so she probably needs to go a mile and a half to be at her best,” he said. “She's well entered up. She's in both Oaks. We'll see how she comes out of the race and we'll discuss it with her owner and make a plan. With a five-runner field, it was always going to turn into a sprint. Ideally, she wants a true-run mile and a half.”

Shutter Speed's free-running dam Photographic won her first two races for Barry Hills before finishing in a share of second in the seven-furlong handicap at this meeting in 2009 and unplaced on all subsequent starts including the Listed Sandringham H. at Royal Ascot. As Gosden explained, Prophecy was able to cause an upset in the G1 Cheveley Park S. over six furlongs in 1993 prior to finishing runner-up to Mehthaaf (Nureyev) in the following year's G3 Nell Gwyn S., a slightly unlucky eighth in the G1 1000 Guineas and last of seven as the 13-8 favourite for this race. Prophecy's most accomplished son Foreteller (GB) by Dansili captured the G1 Ranvet S. over this trip and the G1 Underwood S. and G1 Makybe Diva S. over shorter, while her daughter Modern Look (GB) (Zamindar) was at her best at a mile as she proved when winning the G2 Prix de Sandringham. The aforementioned Arabesque was a listed-winning sprinter who in turn is the dam of the group-placed high-achieving sires Showcasing and Camacho and the similarly fast black-type fillies by Oasis Dream (GB), Bouvardia (GB) and Tendu (GB). Ironically, the latter was turned over by the subsequent group 1 winner Profitable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in this meeting's Listed Westow S. two years ago. Another of Prophecy's daughters, the unraced Destined (GB) (Danehill), produced Fix (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) who was successful in the G2 New Zealand Bloodstock Royal S., G2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic and G2 Eight Carat Classic and second in the G1 New Zealand Derby, and also the G1 South African Derby runner-up Galileo's Destiny (NZ) (Galileo {Ire}). Photographic's broodmare career has been problematic, with only the 14-furlong Doha winner Cameraman (GB) (Rail Link {GB}) and Shutter Speed to represent her. Her 2015 filly by Champs Elysees (GB) unfortunately died, as did her 2016 foal by Dansili.

Wednesday, York, Britain
TATTERSALLS MUSIDORA S.-G3, £100,000, YOR, 5-17, 3yo, f, 10f 56yT, 2:18.62, sf.
1–#@SHUTTER SPEED (GB), 126, f, 3, by Dansili (GB)
1st Dam: Photographic (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Prophecy (Ire), by Warning (GB)
3rd Dam: Andaleeb, by Lyphard
O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $91,678. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Vintage Folly (GB), 126, f, 3, Makfi (GB)–Katimont (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). (80,000gns Wlg '14 TATFOA; €150,000 Ylg '15 ARAUG). O-R W Hill-Smith; B-London Thoroughbred Services Ltd (GB); T-Hugo Palmer. £21,500.
3–Serenada (GB), 126, f, 3, Azamour (Ire)–Serres (Ire), by Daylami (Ire). O-Nurlan Bizakov; B-Hesmonds Stud Ltd (GB); T-Roger Varian. £10,760.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1, 2HF. Odds: 0.55, 12.00, 7.50.
Also Ran: Vociferous Marina (Ire), Miss Infinity (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.