The Biggest Small Race of the Year

Tune in for the 4.10 at Newbury on Thursday. Once you’re tuned in, don’t look away. This could be one of the most exciting races of the year.

It doesn’t initially sound promising, the ‘It’s Not Rocket Science With Mansion Bet Maiden Fillies Stakes’. In fact, it sounds low-rent and boring. If the race was a person, I would probably not make moves to start a conversation - this is the kind of race that is on the parish council and has a strong interest in trains. But despite this, you should certainly tune in.

If my say so is not enough, then let me explain further. There are two fillies in this race whose careers may well have a big effect on the future of the thoroughbred, both by Frankel. One is a gorgeous chestnut filly called Waldfabel who is the only reason I’m aware of the race. The other is a beautifully bred half-sister to Enable called Portrush.

I will do the hard work first, and explain why Portrush’s career should be closely monitored. This shouldn’t be too difficult – after all, her dam Concentric has never bred a foal that has not been a winner, with an average Racing Post Rating of 102, and with three out of the five rated above 101. Oh, and there is that small matter of Enable, champion three-year old and older horse, double Arc winner and with a claim to being the best racemare ever (although I admit there is a big row to be had about that). Concentric herself was a listed winner over 1m2f by Sadler’s Wells, whose mother Apogee won the Group 3 Prix de Royaumont over 1m4f. Her best sibling was Apsis, a Group 3 winner over 1m, but Apogee’s children have run over both jumps and on the Flat. On the damside then, there is a depth of middle-distance blood, with the ability to stay.

Her father Frankel needs no introduction, but it should be noted that he has very similar breeding to Nathaniel, the father of Enable. Both are sons of Galileo, although Frankel is out of Kind, a sprinting Danehill mare, in contrast to Nathaniel’s dam Magnificent Style, a Musidora winner. Indeed, some of her other progeny ran over hurdles, such as the dual-purpose Yorkshire Cup winner Percussionist. Portrush is therefore closely inbred to the Sadler’s Wells/ Galileo branch of the Northern Dancer bloodline, irrefutably the most potent European Turf blood around today. In short, she is the latest child of a talented family, whose father may become the most successful of Galileo’s sons. She is worth watching on her pedigree alone.

Talking about aristocratic fillies with gorgeous bloodlines, and handled by the masterful John Gosden is not normally difficult. Normally I would sing her praises all day long. But is very, very difficult to be nice when she is running against Waldfabel, who for two months was my pride and joy.

Waldfabel (or Waldy when I knew her, before she had her own name) is the daughter of Waldmark, and the miracle baby of Newsells Park Stud, conceived after years of barrenness. Waldmark is the matriarch of the stud. Her grandson Waldgeist won the 2019 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and his brother Waldkonig was until Saturday one of the most promising prospects of this year’s three-year old crop. Although his Derby hopes are now over, I fully expect him to land a Group race soon, and would not be surprised to see him win a Group 1.

It is quite hard to accurately assess her potential. I am blinded by the memory of her nibbling my arm whilst being groomed, the memory of cold mornings when her head would be over the door of the box wanting a pat. Despite her being affectionate, she was very flighty, terrified of blankets, hay bales, new people, small birds and cars. But she was bred in the purple, with a shine to her chestnut coat and a way of moving which made you dream. How could I not fall in love?

If I were being honest, she was not the finished product by any stretch of the imagination during my time at Newsells, even for a yearling. I felt she was quite backward, with a softness and a roundness to her belly and shoulders which made you think she would need a long time to be ready to run. Given her family, this isn’t surprising: they are almost all middle-distance horses, and certainly the best of them, Waldgeist, was better at four than at three. She was never destined to be a sharp two-year old. Indeed, I thought she was an Oaks filly, although it may now come too soon. With barely a few weeks in between her maiden and the Oaks, I would not expect her to be able to handle Epsom’s twists and turns. Certainly she was never the most forward of the Newsells draft of 2018, although she may have suffered in comparison to the supremely relaxed Dubawi ex Giant’s Play filly who lived in the box next door.

But like Portrush, Waldfabel is bred to the purple. All may yet be well, although Rab Havlin has chosen Portrush over my darling, so the signs are ominous.

Anyway, there you go. Tune in on Thursday, there are two top quality fillies.