Shadwell Rockfel Stakes |
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| Group 2, Newmarket 15:00 £100,000 added, 2yo fillies only, 7f, Class 1  |
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| Friday 28th September 2018 | |
1 Just Wonderful 7/2
2
Dandhu 12/1
3
Main Edition 15/8F
9 ran Distances: 1¾l, 1½l, 2l
Time: 1m 25.30s (slow by 3.00s)
Aidan O’Brien’s Just Wonderful won a Group Three on her penultimate start at the Curragh, but lined up on the Rowley Mile with something to prove after finishing down the field in the Moyglare Stud Stakes less than a fortnight ago.
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She was a 7-2 chance for this Group Two assignment, and could hardly have been more impressive.
Albany Stakes heroine and 15-8 favourite Main Edition adopted a pace-setting role for much of the seven-furlong journey, with Ryan Moore happy to bide his time aboard the eventual winner.
Just Wonderful made smooth headway before sweeping by passing the final-furlong marker, and kept up the gallop to score by a length and three-quarters without being asked for maximum effort.
Dandhu finished to good effect to beat Main Edition to the runner-up spot.
Kevin Buckley, representing Coolmore, said: “We are absolutely delighted with that. She did it very easy, and Ryan thought he maybe got there a little bit too soon.
“Her dam Wading won it back in 2011 under Ryan, so it was nice to see mum and daughter winning the same race — and that was the last time we won it as well. She is a filly Aidan has clearly thought an awful lot about all along. It’s nice to have a day like today.
“There was no real fall-out from the Moyglare. It was just a little disappointing run, and she has clearly put that behind her today.”
Asked whether the Fillies’ Mile back at Newmarket on October 12 could be on the agenda, Buckley added: “She won the Flame Of Tara over a mile, so we know she can get that trip. It may well be that (Fillies’ Mile) next.
“Aidan will get her home and talk to the owners and see what they want to do. He’ll also see how she is after this race, because she has been fairly active all season.
“She loved the track and really acted on it, which is nice for next year too.”
David Elsworth said of Dandhu: “She ran okay. She’s a nice filly and she has just drifted into this level without any questions being asked.
“I’ve not over-done her, so it was nice to see her run as well as she did, and I feel she is improving.
“That will probably be the end of the season for her, but we’ll see. She would have probably liked a bit more cut in the ground.”
Mark Johnston felt Main Edition failed to get home after setting the early fractions.
He said: “Obviously we are disappointed to be third, but it is not the end of the world.
“Frankie came in and said he went a bit quick. He has beaten all the ones he can see but he doesn’t know what is going on behind.
“He said at the moment she gets the seven furlongs but only just gets it, and that was the impression at the Curragh as well.
“We thought maybe on the faster ground she would get home, but she hasn’t quite.
“She won’t run again this year. We would still be hopeful she will get the mile of the 1000 Guineas because she will be a bigger, stronger horse next year.”
Shadwell Rockfel Stakes (Fillies' Group 2)
£100,000 added, 2yo only, 7f, Class 1
9 ran
Going:
Good to Firm, Good in places
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (1) | Just Wonderful (USA) 7/2 | R L Moore 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 2 | |
| 2nd | (6) | 1¾ | Dandhu 12/1 | G Mosse 9-0 |
D R C Elsworth | 2 |
| 3rd | (5) | 1½ | Main Edition (IRE) 15/8f | L Dettori 9-0 |
M Johnston | 2 |
| 4th | (4) | 2 | Model Guest 25/1 | J P Spencer 9-0 |
G G Margarson | 2 |
| 5th | (2) | ¾ | Canton Queen (IRE) 10/1 | Tom Marquand 9-0 |
R Hannon | 2 |
| 6th | (3) | 1½ | Dutch Treat 13/2 | Oisin Murphy 9-0 |
A M Balding | 2 |
| 7th | (9) | ¾ | California Love 50/1 | T P Queally 9-0 |
Richard Spencer | 2 |
| 8th | (7) | 3¼ | Yourtimeisnow 5/1 | S De Sousa 9-0 |
R Varian | 2 |
| 9th | (8) | 6 | Ajrar 16/1 | W Buick 9-0 |
R Hannon | 2 |
