York's weather is for ducks this week and only soft-ground specialists need apply, which means that So Mi Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has the perfect resume for the task ahead in Thursday's G2 Betfred Middleton S. Lord Lloyd-Webber's daughter of the high achiever Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), whose own best day came at this track in the 2009 G1 Yorkshire Oaks, was a four-length winner of the G3 Musidora S. over this course and distance 12 months ago before injury kept her away from the Classics. Back with a win under a penalty in the Listed John Musker Fillies' S. at Yarmouth in September, she encountered trouble in running when third in the G1 Prix de l'Opera at Chantilly on Arc day. She is joined by fellow John Gosden trainee The Black Princess (Fr) (Iffraaj {GB}), who also handles this type of surface and at least has an experience edge over So Mi Dar having won the G3 Prix Allez France over 10 furlongs at Chantilly on Apr. 30. “So Mi Dar has obviously been off a very long time, waiting for the Middleton because there's nowhere else to go,” their trainer said. “She's liable to be a little fresh and will come on a great deal for her first run.”
Two Sir Michael Stoute trainees run with Group 1 penalties, but the relative accomplishments of Queen's Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Smart Call (SAf) (Ideal World) are literally worlds apart. The former earned her extra burden by winning the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Santa Anita's firm surface when last seen in November, while last year's G1 J&B Met heroine Smart Call is unproven outside of her native South Africa. Chris Richardson, racing manager at Cheveley Park, said, “Queen's Trust has wintered well and she has done well physically. She is full of herself and she possibly might be in need of the run. The ground is a slight concern. The ground has gone soft and she has only run on soft ground once before and finished fourth. We will see how Sir Michael Stoute feels in the morning, but the intention is to run at the moment. It is a good starting point and I am sure she will improve for the run, but the ground is a factor.”
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