By Tom Frary
Relatively unexposed in the competitive line-up for Sunday's G2 Lanwades Stud Stakes at The Curragh, the Zinlo Syndicate's City Of Memphis (Sioux Nation) stamped her class on the mile test to continue her upward trajectory.
Beaten only once in her career so far when fifth in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on this card 12 months ago, last month's G3 Mutamakina Stakes winner was the subject of support as the 2-1 joint-favourite and travelled easily under cover early.
Launched by Billy Lee to subdue Carolina Jetstream (Pinatubo) inside the final furlong, the €370,000 2024 Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up topper asserted to score by a length, with the unlucky Stateira (Persian King) half a length further back in third.
Paddy Twomey said, “I like this race, as it is a suitable one for the type of filly we train. This filly came from Katie Walsh as a breezer and, to be fair, the breeze-ups have been very good to us and I came from that sphere myself. Alan [O'Flynn] said to target the breeze-ups from the get-go and he has been very lucky and is getting his reward.”
“She is a classy filly and it worked out today. After her Guineas run, I said that we'd leave her alone until her four-year-old year and I gave her the time and turned her out, which is something I rarely do,” he added. “I'd say she is now a Group One filly. She's had three quick runs, so I don't think going to Ascot would be a good idea. I'll be looking at races like the Prix Maurice de Gheest and Prix Rothschild at Deauville, the Matron and the Breeders' Cup Mile, those kind of races.”
City Of Memphis 😍
A hat-trick of wins this season for the progressive filly under Billy Lee for @ptwomeyracing 🥇🥇🥇@Lanwades | @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/xGPJwMokLx
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 24, 2026
Pedigree Notes
City Of Memphis's dam Decorative (Danehill Dancer) is a granddaughter of Asnieres (Spend A Buck) who is a half-sister to the Breeders' Cup Classic-winning sire Arcangues. Her daughter Attire, who was also by Danehill Dancer, produced the Irish Champion Stakes, Coronation Cup and Tattersalls Gold Cup hero Luxembourg (Camelot) and the G2 Mooresbridge Stakes scorer Leo De Fury (Australia). The Wildenstein dynasty includes the luminaries Aquarelliste (Danehill) and Cape Verdi (Caerleon).
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
LANWADES STUD STAKES (RIDGEWOOD PEARL STAKES)-G2, €130,000, Curragh, 5-24, 4yo/up, f/m, 8fT, 1:36.51, gd.
1–CITY OF MEMPHIS (IRE), 128, f, 4, by Sioux Nation
1st Dam: Decorative (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Source Of Life (Ire), by Fasliyev
3rd Dam: Asnieres, by Spend A Buck
(€60,000 Ylg '23 GOFOR; €370,000 2yo '24 TATBRU). O-Zinlo Syndicate; B-Decorative Syndicate; T-Paddy Twomey; J-Billy Lee. €78,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, $169,748. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Carolina Jetstream (GB), 128, f, 4, Pinatubo (Ire)–Queen Of The Stars (GB), by Sea The Stars (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (110,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Amo Racing Ltd & Giselle De Aguiar; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd; T-Robson Aguiar. €26,000.
3–Stateira (Fr), 128, f, 4, Persian King (Ire)–Douda (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€60,000 Wlg '22 ARQDEC; €70,000 Ylg '23 BBAGS). O-Gary Gillies; B-SARL Ecurie Saba & Laurent Dassault; T-Andrew Balding. €13,000.
Margins: 1, HF, HF. Odds: 2.00, 66.00, 22.00.
Also Ran: One Look (Ire), Hey Boo (GB), Jancis (Ire), Celestial Orbit (GB), California Dreamer (GB), Sindria (Ire), Francophone (GB), Princess Child (Fr), Quebec (Ger).
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