By Sean Cronin
The Godolphin-Appleby-Buick triumvirate was in celebratory mood for a third time on the opening day of Newmarket's July Festival after TDN Rising Star Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath) doubled his stakes tally with a decisive success in the Listed Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes.
“It's easy to say after the event, but I'd have been disappointed if he'd got beat,” Appleby said. “He's a very exciting horse we thought a lot of in the spring and even in the winter to be fair. He shows signs of his father as he's a strong-minded horse, but he's a great galloper and has got a big engine.”
The €600,000 Arqana August graduate broke alertly and was steadied to track the leaders in fifth through halfway. Cruising forward on the bridle with a quarter-mile remaining, the 11-8 favourite was shaken up to assume command approaching the final furlong and kept on strongly in the closing stages to assert superiority in style. He was 2 3/4 lengths too good for Seagulls Eleven (Galileo Gold), with 1 1/2 lengths back to King Of Cities (Dubawi) in third.
“I think he's going to end up being a 10-furlong horse and we'll keep taking baby steps with him,” the trainer added. “He's got to learn to do it the right way and I think he'll have learnt a lot today. We might take him to Deauville for a Group 3. I'm very much working back from next year with him and I want to nurse him along so next year we have a horse that we can go to war with. This horse can gallop, there's no doubt about that, but he's got to learn to do it the right way on the racetrack.”
There's no doubt Opera Ball is a talent and he makes it four wins from five starts in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes on a memorable day for William Buick, Charlie Appleby and @godolphin pic.twitter.com/DAL2OBrxag
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 10, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Opera Ballo is the second of five foals and one of two scorers out of a full-sister to dual Group 3 winner Lockwood (Invincible Spirit) and Listed Gala Stakes third Saga (Invincible Spirit). His dam Dubai Opera (Invincible Spirit) is also kin to G1 Criterium International runner-up and G3 Prix Thomas Bryon-winning sire Earnshaw (Medaglia D'Oro) out of G3 Prix des Reservoirs victrix Emily Bronte (Machiavellian). The March-foaled bay is a half-brother to Listed Prix Maurice Zilber third Dyptique (Night Of Thunder), the unraced 2-year-old colt Damn Precious (Sottsass), a yearling filly by Baaeed and a weanling colt by Paddington.
Thursday, Newmarket, Britain
EDMONDSON HALL SOLICITORS SIR HENRY CECIL STAKES-Listed, £55,000, Newmarket, 7-10, 3yo, 8fT, 1:36.43, g/f.
1–OPERA BALLO (IRE), 134, c, 3, by Ghaiyyath (Ire)
1st Dam: Dubai Opera (GB), by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
2nd Dam: Emily Bronte (GB), by Machiavellian
3rd Dam: Zafadola (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
TDN Rising Star. (€600,000 Ylg '23 ARAUG). O-Godolphin; B-Ecurie de Cachene; T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £31,191. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, $122,818. *1/2 to Dyptique (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), SP-Fr.
2–Seagulls Eleven (Ire), 131, g, 3, Galileo Gold (GB)–Thrilled (Ire), by Kodiac (GB). (50,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Two Plus Three Two Plus Four; B-Tally-Ho Stud; T-Hugo Palmer. £11,825.
3–King Of Cities (Ire), 131, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Ajman Princess (Ire), by Teofilo (Ire). O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; T-Richard Hannon. £5,918.
Margins: 2 3/4, 1HF, 2. Odds: 1.38, 22.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Spectacular View (GB), Royal Playwright (GB), Arabian Story (Ire), Elarak (GB).
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