TRUE ROMANTIC
Third in Ascot's Oct. 17 G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S., Beautiful Romance (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) returned off that latest effort to claim a career-high win in Thursday's G2 Betfred Middleton S. at York. Settled in fourth after an alert getaway, the 5-1 chance inched ever closer once into the long straight. She came under pressure with three furlongs remaining and was driven out once grinding her way to the front at the eighth pole to deny Koora (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) by 1 1/4 lengths in ultimately snug fashion. Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), the 5-4 favourite who was second in the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. last time, was a neck adrift in third after holding every chance with a quarter mile to go. “She's been training great for this race and it was nice to have a good, clear run at it with her,” commented rider James Doyle. “She ran well in the Nell Gwyn last year, then she got a few niggly problems and we were just behind the eight ball, just on the back foot, so we were really happy with that. She's so laid back I had to wake her up a little bit. We went steady enough and I know she's run well over further, but she's certainly not slow and I was mindful of the [steady] early pace. Hopefully we can have a lot more fun with her. She's got good form on soft, but I galloped her two weeks ago on good-to-firm and she went really well on it so she's just very versatile.” Trainer Saeed bin Suroor added, “We always thought she wanted soft, so we thought long and hard about running today. I said to James just give her every chance and the more you ask the more you get. She'll improve for this and we'll think about the [June 15 G1] Prince of Wales's S. and the [June 18 G2] Hardwicke S. at [Royal] Ascot. She'll go on any ground now, but I still think she prefers good-to-soft.”
Thursday, York, Britain
BETFRED MIDDLETON S.-G2, £120,000, YOR, 5-12, 4yo/up, f, 10f 88yT, 2:08.85, g/f.
1–@BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE (GB), 126, f, 4, by New Approach (Ire)
1st Dam: Mazuna (Ire) (GSW-Eng, $112,117), by Cape Cross (Ire)
2nd Dam: Keswa (Ire), by Kings Lake
3rd Dam: Reves Celestes, by Lyphard
O-Godolphin; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Saeed bin Suroor; J-James Doyle. £68,052. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Eng, 7-3-0-2, $253,771. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Koora (GB), 126, f, 4, Pivotal (GB)–Kithanga (Ire), by Darshaan (GB). O/B-Fittocks Stud (GB); T-Luca Cumani. £25,800.
3–Journey (GB), 126, f, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Montare (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). O/B-George Strawbridge (GB); T-John Gosden. £12,912.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, HF. Odds: 5.00, 8.00, 1.25.
Also Ran: Speedy Boarding (GB), Lady Of Dubai (GB), Ballybacka Queen (Ire), Crystal Zvezda (GB). Scratched: Namhroodah (Ire).
Beautiful Romance created a favourable impression when bagging her maiden by nine lengths at Doncaster in her only juvenile start and hit the board when returning in Newmarket's G3 Nell Gwyn S. on sophomore bow next time. Slipping to sixth in Deauville's Aug. 1 G3 Prix de Psyche, she annexed the Aug. 29 Listed August S. at Windsor before running fifth, tackling Group 1 company for the first time, in the Sept. 13 G1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp. The bay hit the board in the Oct. 17 G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares at Ascot in her only other go and enhanced her portfolio with a game win here. Luca Cumani was delighted with Koora's second and said, “It was the toughest task she'd faced so far and she ran very well. Jamie [Spencer] felt the he didn't have as much room as he would have liked as soon as he would have liked, but the winner won well and we were clear second-best. The medium-term plan is the [July 2 G2] Lancashire Oaks [at Hatdock].” Third-placed Journey travelled on the bridle in the straight, but flattered to deceive after racing freely through the early strides. However, trainer John Gosden was satisfied with the run and commented, “We're happy she ran well, but she was a little bit ring-rusty on her first run back. We feel she she could probably do with a touch further and the ground dried up a bit too much, but she ran a good race.” Out of the G3 Princess Royal S. victress Mazuna (Ire), Beautiful Romance hails from the family of MG1SW Mastercraftsman (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}, and is kin to a 2-year-old colt by Sepoy (Aus) and a yearling filly by Universal (Ire). Click for the or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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