By Tom Frary
It was at this track in May 2015 that Endless Time finished ahead of the subsequent G1 St Leger and G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. winner Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) in a 12-furlong handicap that has obviously since taken on far greater significance. Ending her 3-year-old her campaign with an impressive 4 1/2-length success in the Listed Bluebell S. again at that trip at Naas in October, the bay returned to capture the G2 Lancashire Oaks on the soft at Haydock last July prior to running ninth in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks on a contrasting surface the following month. Rebounding when second in the G1 Prix Vermeille at Chantilly in September, she was sent over further than a mile and a half for the first time in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak and fared well when 1 3/4-lengths second to Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) over just short of two miles at Saint-Cloud in October. Beaten less than a length on her comeback when fourth in the May 19 G2 Yorkshire Cup, she wandered late on after gaining the lead there. It would have been too quick for her at Royal Ascot next time as she trailed in 10th in the June 22 G1 Gold Cup and Charlie Appleby reached for cheekpieces as he sought to revive her fortunes.
Settled in mid-division against the rail by William Buick, Endless Time was always travelling best but with the ground riding tacky her biggest problem was finding racing room in time in the straight as Here Comes When's half-sister Melodic Motion kept her penned there in early straight. Eventually angled out approaching the final quarter mile, she had over two lengths to make up on Dubka a furlong later but her withering run down the outer took her past that rival in the final strides for an ultimately cosy success. “I can't say she is not game, but she's getting a bit older and wiser and the cheekpieces just help her travel into the race better,” her handler said. “We will probably look at the [G1 Prix] Vermeille [at Chantilly Sept. 10] or the [G1 Prix] Royal-Oak [at Saint-Cloud Oct. 22] again and she is in the [G1] Irish St Leger [at The Curragh Sept. 10] as well. Her ability to handle that ground is one of her key attributes and she is a lovely mare to have around.”
Connections of the next two home were taking much from the performances of their fillies. James Horton, assistant to Sir Michael Stoute, said of the runner-up, “Dubka has run a blinder, fought everyone off bar the winner. Endless Time has come very very late on the outside and Dubka hasn't had a chance to respond to it. The form is there, the Godolphin filly has been second in group one races. We are delighted with our run. I think that she has a hard race on that ground, though I think she is a filly that wants the soft. I think we will travel with her next, we went to Haydock last time and it was quick enough for her, she didn't like it very much. I think we will re-group and there may be some nice races in the autumn for her.” Trainer Ralph Beckett said of Melodic Motion, “She has run a huge race in amongst battle-hardened fillies. It was a terrific effort. She has taken the Simple Verse route without turning into her, so there is some disappointment. She is still a very smart filly and is likely to go for the [G2] Park Hill [S. at Doncaster Sept. 14] next.”
Mamonta is also responsible for another useful daughter of Sea the Stars in this year's Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial third The Sky Is Blazing (Ire), who went off so fast in the G2 Ribblesdale S. when last seen, while she also has a 2-year-old colt by Shamardal named Ikaab (Ire), a yearling colt by Dawn Approach (Ire) and a foal who is a full-sister to the winner. She is a half-sister to the G2 Prix de Royallieu winner Mouramara (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}), who in turn is the dam of two notable performers. One is the G1 Sydney Cup hero Mourayan (Ire) (Alhaarth {Ire}), while the other is Mourilyan (Ire) (Desert Prince {Ire}), who was runner-up in this meeting's G2 Goodwood Cup and third in the G1 Melbourne Cup. Mouramara was also responsible for two other black-type performers and also the dam of the G3 Prix Edmond Blanc scorer Skins Game (GB) (Diktat {GB}). The third dam is another who fared well here in Mamouna when third in the G2 Nassau S. and her descendants include the G2 Prix de Flore scorer Miliana (Ire) (Polar Falcon), while this is also the family of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Masarika (Ire) (Thatch).
Thursday, Goodwood, Britain
MARKEL INSURANCE FILLIES' S. (LILLIE LANGTRY S.)-G3, £100,000, GOO, 8-3, 3yo/up, f, 14fT, 3:14.11, sf.
1–ENDLESS TIME (IRE), 132, m, 5, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Mamonta (GB), by Fantastic Light
2nd Dam: Mamoura (Ire), by Lomond
3rd Dam: Mamouna, by Vaguely Noble (Ire)
(115,000gns Wlg '12 TATFOA; 180,000gns Ylg '13 TAOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Mabaki Investments (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £56,710. Lifetime Record: SW-Ire & MG1SP-Fr, 14-7-2-0, $418,593. *Full to The Sky is Blazing (Ire), SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dubka (GB), 132, f, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Rosika (GB), by Sakhee. O-Sir Evelyn de Rothschild; B-Southcourt Stud (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £21,500.
3–Melodic Motion (Ire), 121, f, 3, Nathaniel (Ire)–Quad's Melody (Ire), by Spinning World. (€130,000 Ylg '15 GOFORB). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Old Carhue & Graeng Bloodstock (IRE); T-Ralph Beckett. £10,760.
Margins: NK, NK, 3/4. Odds: 2.50, 6.50, 5.50.
Also Ran: Natural Scenery (GB), Wild Irish Rose (Ire), Diamonds Pour Moi (GB), Rich Legacy (Ire), Dawn Horizons (GB), Harlequeen (GB), Lucy the Painter (Ire). Scratched: Alyssa (GB), Aljezeera (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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