By Tom Frary
One of the spring's most exciting prospects, Godolphin's Opera Ballo had suffered a bump in the road when sixth in the Craven but bounced back in style in Thursday's Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown. Always travelling with gusto as William Buick tried to curb the enthusiasm, the son of Ghaiyyath who had impressed on his first two starts at Kempton to earn TDN Rising Star status moved to the front approaching the furlong pole.
Strong at the line, the 5-4 favourite had registered an authoritative 2 1/2-length success from New Bay's previously-unbeaten G2 Champagne Stakes winner Bay City Roller who was reappearing under a penalty. “He's a work in progress and the engine is there, we just need to fine-tune it a bit,” Buick said. “The ability and improvement is there and although I do think he'll stay a mile and a quarter, he has a turn of foot and is exuberant so I would stay at a mile for now.”
🔵 Opera Ballo delivers in the Heron pic.twitter.com/Oi3lyGdFwL
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 29, 2025
Charlie Appleby's assistant Alex Merriam added, “The first-time hood has worked and William said once he got cover he settled much better than at Newmarket the last day, albeit he was still a bit keen early doors. He is in the St James's Palace, but we'll see. He will appreciate a bit of juice in the ground, I think, but we'll see how he comes out of this and let Charlie come up with a plan.”
George Scott was delighted with Bay City Roller, who bypassed Sunday's G1 Prix du Jockey Club. “We were unsure where to go and we thought he was ready to step up to 10 furlongs, but we just couldn't find the right race,” he said. “Callum [Shepherd] said he hit the line great and he's ready to step up. His pedigree is all about 10 furlongs and a mile and a half and I'm really pleased with him. He's very much a horse for the future and he has a lot of quality and we're really happy with that as a starting point.”
Opera Ballo is the second foal and second black-type performer out of Invincible Spirit's Dubai Opera whose first is the Listed-placed Dyptique by Night Of Thunder. Out of Machiavellian's G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner Emily Bronte, she is therefore a full-sister to the dual Group 3 scorer Lockwood and the talented but quirky Listed-placed Saga as well as a half to the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon winner and G1 Criterium International runner-up Earnshaw by Medaglia D'Oro. Dubai Opera's 2-year-old colt by Sottsass is named Damn Precious.
Thursday, Sandown, Britain
STAR SPORTS HERON STAKES-Listed, £45,000, Sandown, 5-29, 3yo, 8fT, 1:42.45, gd.
1–OPERA BALLO (IRE), 128, 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. 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (€600,000 Ylg '23 ARAUG). O-Godolphin; B-Ecurie de Cachene; T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £25,520. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $80,441. *1/2 to Dyptique (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), SP-Fr.
2–Bay City Roller (Ire), 133, c, 3, New Bay (GB)–Bloomfield (Ire), by Teofilo (Ire). (€320,000 Ylg '23 GOFOR). O-Victorious Racing; B-John Connaughton; T-George Scott. £9,675.
3–Jackknife (GB), 128, c, 3, Kameko–Dulkashe (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-The Dulkashe Partnership; T-Roger Varian. £4,842.
Margins: 2HF, 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 1.25, 4.50, 4.50.
Also Ran: Pellitory (GB), Matauri Bay (Ire), Nebras (GB), Suhail Star (Ire).
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