By Tom Frary
Underestimated despite being a Classic winner in the line-up for Saturday's G1 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron S., a “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, John Dance's Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) stepped up a notch to do the unthinkable and hold off Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in a pulsating edition of the Leopardstown contest. Reverting to a mile after fading into sixth in the 12-furlong G1 Yorkshire Oaks Aug. 23, the bay who was sent off an inflated 10-1 set out her stall in front under Danny Tudhope who was deputising for the injured PJ McDonald. Knuckling down as the Niarchos sensation came to her inside the final furlong, the G1 Prix de Diane heroine dug in gamely to carve out a 3/4-of-a-length success, with Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 1 1/4 lengths away in third. “That was pretty exciting,” her owner said. “Coming off the bend, I was thinking have we gone early enough and they all got racing then. Normally, they eyeball her and that's when they wilt and she was special today. This is up there with the Diane. I thought she could run a personal best and come second, but we've beaten probably the world's best miler.”
Laurens had first sprung to prominence at this time last year when winning the G2 May Hill S. at Doncaster's St Leger meeting and by the time she had collected the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket in October, finished runner-up in the May 6 G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Prix Saint-Alary at ParisLongchamp three weeks later she was high-profile. Battling to hold off a blanket of fillies in Chantilly's G1 Prix de Diane June 17, she had travelled into the Yorkshire Oaks with a degree of menace before checking out inside the final 1 1/2 furlongs. In her element here, she was first spurred on by Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the straight and then as expected by Alpha Centauri. As that 3-10 favourite came to her passing the furlong pole she lugged left under pressure and stumbled 150 yards out, which effectively settled the result with Laurens in determined mood.
Trainer Karl Burke was aware of the magnitude of the success. “That was some performance and probably the highlight of my career so far,” he said. “John [Dance] was keen to come here and the reason we put her in was it was the only group one fillies-only prep leading into the Prix de l'Opera. After the Yorkshire Oaks, we were adamant that she didn't stay. We weren't going to complicate things so she made the running and made use of her long stride, which is her biggest asset. We didn't want to be dictated by any team tactics and we wanted to dictate to them. She has a huge engine and a huge stride, and we said we might kick a furlong earlier than they would expect us to. I would be very surprised if John doesn't want to go for the [G1] Sun Chariot [at Newmarket Oct. 6] now rather than the Opera. We would be keen to win another UK group one if we can. John did say to me if we win one of these big group ones over a mile that she might stay in training, so I might hold him to that. If she does stay in training next year, she has a lot of options now over a mile and a mile and a quarter.”
Alpha Centauri's trainer Jessie Harrington was concerned about the runner-up, who was found to be clinically abnormal on examination post-race. “She got to the lead and she took a bad step,” she explained. “Whatever happened, she took a bad step and then she took another one towards the end. She went there and whatever happened she did something, I saw it when I was watching it. Unfortunately that's racing and we'll live to fight another day.” Her rider Colm O'Donoghue added, “She did everything right. She quickened up, but then she lost her action and half-knuckled over for a stride or two. When she recovered she did it a second time. Fair do's to the winner, though, as she's a top-class filly in her own right as well.”
One of an elite category now as the winner of four group 1 races, Laurens is the last known foal out of Recambe (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), a half to the Hong Kong Derby hero Salford Mill (Ire) (Preintre Celebre). The third dam Raysiya (Ire) (Cure the Blues) was responsible for Ribot's Guest (Ire) (Be My Guest) who produced the G1 Prix de l'Opera and G2 May Hill S. heroine Kinnaird (Ire) (Dr. Devious {Ire}) who in turn threw the G2 Royal Lodge S. scorer Berkshire (Ire) (Mount Nelson {GB}) and is also the second dam of the G2 July S. hero and G1 Middle Park S. runner-up Ivawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}). This is also the family of the G3 Killavullan S. scorer and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Rayeni (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) and the G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Ridasiyna (Fr) (Motivator {GB}).
Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
COOLMORE FASTNET ROCK MATRON S.-G1, €350,000, Leopardstown, 9-15, 3yo/up, f, 8fT, 1:39.23, g/f.
1–LAURENS (FR), 126, f, 3, by Siyouni (Fr)
1st Dam: Recambe (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire)
2nd Dam: Razana (Ire), by Kahyasi (Ire)
3rd Dam: Raysiya (Ire), by Cure the Blues
(£220,000 Ylg '16 GOUKPR). O-John Dance; B-Bloodstock Agency Ltd. (FR); T-Karl Burke; J-Daniel Tudhope. €206,500. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Fr & G1SW-Eng, 9-6-2-0, $1,736,933. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Alpha Centauri (Ire), 126, f, 3, Mastercraftsman (Ire)–Alpha Lupi (Ire), by Rahy. O/B-Niarchos Family (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €70,000.
3–Clemmie (Ire), 126, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Meow (Ire), by Storm Cat. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Liberty Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €35,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 10.00, 0.30, 20.00.
Also Ran: Magical (Ire), Happily (Ire), Lightening Quick (GB), Dan's Dream (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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