Galileo’s Secret Gesture Wires the Middleton at York

GESTURE WIRES THE MIDDLETON

Qatar Racing Ltd and Newsells Park Stud’s Secret Gesture (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) backed up a win in the 2013 Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial with a second in that year’s G1 Epsom Oaks, but had managed just one victory–in last June’s Listed Warwickshire Oaks at Nottingham–in eight subsequent starts. Lining up for Thursday’s G2 Middleton S. at York at odds of 7-2 coming back from a fifth in the Nov. 1 GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita, she galloped her rivals to sleep in this seasonal debut, leading from pillar to post to record a deserved success. She had 1 1/2 lengths to spare over Talmada (Cape Cross {Ire}) at the line, with Ribbons (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) a further neck away in third. “It was very straightforward,” commented jockey Andrea Atzeni. “She was a little bit fresh early on, but I managed to get a breather into her coming around the bend and she quickened again. She loved the ground, she’s very honest and the tailwind helped in the straight. She has run well from the front and she has run well from behind, but there didn’t look to be too much pace in the race beforehand so it was the plan to go forward. She’s improving with age and going the right way.” Part-owner Sheikh Fahad Al Thani added, “I think if any filly deserves her Group race it’s her. She’s very consistent and [trainer] Ralph [Beckett] has done a magnificent job. We sat down with Newsells Park Stud at the end of last season and decided to give her another year, and she’s repaid us today. Andrea went out with a plan and executed it to perfection.”

Declaring her intent by a whopping 10 lengths in Lingfield’s 2013 Oaks Trial, Secret Gesture was undone by stablemate Talent (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in the Epsom Classic and occupied the same berth in the G2 German equivalent just over two months later. She also hit the board in that season’s G1 Yorkshire Oaks and closed her sophomore campaign with a subdued last-of-nine in Longchamp’s G1 Prix de l’Opera. The bay opened last term with a second in this event, got her head in front in Nottingham’s June 16 Listed Warwickshire Oaks and was runner-up again in the July 26 G2 York S. over this course and distance. Enjoying a break after hitting the board in Deauville’s Aug. 24 G1 Prix Jean Romanet, she finished a close up fifth at Santa Anita’s Breeders’ Cup meet last time. Committed on the front end from the outset by Atzeni, the partnership was clear by halfway and had all rivals on the stretch once into the long straight, keeping on stongly under final-furlong urging to register a belated first pattern-race triumph.

BETFRED MIDDLETON S.-G2, £110,000, YRK, 5-14, 4yo/up, f/m, 10f 88yT, 2:10.48, gd.
1–@SECRET GESTURE (GB), 126, m, 5, by Galileo (Ire)

1st Dam: Shastye (Ire) (SP-Eng), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Saganeca, by Sagace (Fr)
3rd Dam: Haglette, by Hagley

(230,000gns RNA yrl ‘11 TATOCT). O-Qatar Racing Ltd & Newsells Park Stud; B-Newsells Park Stud (GB); T-Ralph Beckett; J-Andrea Atzeni. £62,381. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Ger & Fr, 13-4-5-2, £419,327. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.

2–Talmada, 126, f, 4, Cape Cross (Ire)–Aryaamm (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Darley; T-Roger Varian. £23,650.

3–Ribbons (GB), 129, m, 5, Manduro (Ger)–Sister Act (GB), by Marju (Ire). O/B-Elite Racing Club (GB); T-James Fanshawe. £11,836.

Margins: 1HF, NK, 3/4. Odds: 3.50, 12.00, 6.00.

Also Ran: Odeliz (Ire), Madame Chiang (GB), Bragging, Belle d’Or, Lily Rules (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result, the brisnet.com PPs, or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.