By Tom Frary
Finally accorded favouritism in a prestige race, Anthony and Sonia Rogers's Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy) fully justified that position as she delivered more of the same magic in Sunday's G1 Moyglare Stud S. at The Curragh, a “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Not taken sufficiently seriously before winning the G3 Silver Flash S. over seven furlongs at Leopardstown July 26 and the G2 Debutante S. at this venue three weeks ago, the homebred was the pick of a classy bunch this time at 7-2 and broke with all her customary enthusiasm before being restrained by Ronan Whelan to race in mid-division. Driven to take command with 150 yards remaining, the diminutive bay drew away to win in the usual convincing fashion by two lengths from Lady Kaya (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), with Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 1 1/4 lengths away in third. “We came here thinking we had a chance, but you're always pinching yourself,” her rider commented. “I'm a glass-half-full person, but the way she won the last day I was very hopeful and she just seems to be winning with plenty left. She hit a flat spot at halfway and I was a bit worried, but she was running around with me at the end as if she had plenty in the tank and doesn't seem to be stopping.”
Unbeaten over this trip, Skitter Scatter's sole defeats came on her Mar. 28 debut over five furlongs at Dundalk and over six when third in the Listed Coolmore Stud Fillies Sprint S. at Naas May 20 and second in the July 1 G3 Grangecon Stud S. here. After Ballydoyle's Goddess (Camelot {GB}) had proven a major disappointment in the Silver Flash, the true merit of Skitter Scatter's success there may not have been appreciated but after the Debutante there was no doubt we were dealing with a genuine top-class juvenile. Taking time to go through the gears this time as Main Edition (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Zagitova (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) applied the pressure up front, she took control very quickly when fully committed and was able to outstay the smooth-travelling Lady Kaya as Hermosa picked up best of the closers.
Trainer Patrick Prendergast is also starting to believe now. “I'm quite astounded how good she was,” he confessed. “I was thinking if she was in the first three it would be a marvellous result and we could head for the Guineas and have a chance of running well in it. Now I'm just starting to think maybe she might win the Guineas! He admitted to concerns about whether Skitter Scatter was feeling the effects of her busy campaign. “I was worried coming into today, because I felt it had been a long year for her,” he added. “When she came we just wanted to win our maiden and so we tried to win one of the earliest maidens of the year at Dundalk. She's incredible in that she's kept going and just kept improving. I was also worrying too that just, as of late, she's just starting to grow, finally, so she's not going to be so small next year. We're a small yard and all my staff have worked incredibly hard with this filly. They are all involved with her and that's the beauty of a small yard. Mrs Rogers and Anthony wanted to race her, as they are enjoying it and she will eventually go back to their stud.”
Skitter Scatter's dam Dane Street (Street Cry {Ire}), who is also responsible for the GIII Jimmy Durante S. third Data Dependent (More Than Ready), is a daughter of Daneleta (Danehill) who finished third in the G3 Railway S. and later produced the G1 Dewhurst S.-winning sire Intense Focus (Giant's Causeway). The third dam, the Listed Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial S. and Listed Athasi S. scorer Zavaleta (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}), is a half to the group 1-winning sire Sholokhov (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) from the family of Soldier of Fortune (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) whose daughter Danelissima (Ire) (Danehill) took the G3 Noblesse S. and was third in the G2 Lancashire Oaks. Dane Street also has a yearling full-brother to Data Dependent and a colt foal by No Nay Never.
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
MOYGLARE STUD S.-G1, €350,000, Curragh, 9-16, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:25.60, g/y.
1–SKITTER SCATTER, 126, f, 2, by Scat Daddy
1st Dam: Dane Street, by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Daneleta (Ire), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Zavaleta (Ire), by Kahyasi (Ire)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Anthony Rogers & Mrs Sonia Rogers; B-Three Chimneys Farm LLC & Airlie Stud (KY); T-Patrick Prendergast; J-Ronan Whelan. €199,500. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-2, $386,660. *1/2 to Data Dependent (More Than Ready), GSP-US, $120,500. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”kbif-g1″][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred”]2–Lady Kaya (Ire), 126, f, 2, Dandy Man (Ire)–Kayak (GB), by Singspiel (Ire). (€15,000 Wlg '16 GOFNOV; €12,000 RNA Ylg '17 TIRSEP). O-Joanne Lavery; B-John O'Connor (IRE); T-Sheila Lavery. €66,500.
3–Hermosa (Ire), 126, f, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Beauty Is Truth (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). O-Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Beauty Is Truth Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €31,500.
Margins: 2, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 3.50, 8.00, 20.00.
Also Ran: Zagitova (Ire), Main Edition (Ire), Beyond Reason (Ire), Just Wonderful, Smart Flies (Ire), Bandiuc Eile (Ire), Angelic Light (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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