By Tom Frary
She had been beaten on her last four starts by Winter, but there was one occasion when Hydrangea had got the better of her and chose a big night to wind back the clock to Apr. 8 when she had upstaged her soon-to-be dual Guineas-winning stablemate by a head in the seven-furlong G3 Ballylinch Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial S. That seasonal return marked her as a genuine Guineas contender in her own right, but that was already known at two when she filled the runner's-up spot behind Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in both the G2 Debutante S. at The Curragh and Newmarket's G1 Fillies' Mile. In between, she had got the better of Rhododendron when they were second and third behind Intricately (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in The Curragh's G1 Moyglare Stud S. proving that there was no amount of times she could be knocked down before quitting.
Despite her natural resilience, it must have been dispiriting to suffer so many blows to her confidence as after a rare disappointing effort when 10th in the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket May 7 Hydrangea was well beaten by Winter when third in the Irish equivalent at The Curragh three weeks later and in Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation S. June 23. Sluggish at the start of Glorious Goodwood's G1 Nassau S. and ultimately unable to land a blow in fourth Aug. 3, the bay could have been forgiven for capitulating in this hot contest but instead had something up her sleeve to produce the first of two big shocks on the evening.
Handed a rare lead by another stable star in Roly Poly (War Front), Wayne Lordan let her bowl along in a close-up second and all was going to script as Ryan Moore sent Winter to the front with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. Hanging in there as pressure came wide from Persuasive to spur her on, the market leader failed to get away from her and the dogged Hydrangea wore her down late. “She is a very consistent filly who had run well all year and enjoys this turning track,” her rider said. “Winter quickened up away from me, but she put her head down and tried very hard.”
Aidan O'Brien had revealed that the runner-up had suffered a setback in the lead-up to this race and believed that had made the difference. “She is Winter's work partner and maybe she turned around and said 'you can have this one today',” he joked. “They ran together in the trial before going to Newmarket and Hydrangea pipped Winter and it was great as she was the only one of the four who hadn't won a group 1. We felt that Winter was going to improve a bit from the run. She was carrying a little bit of a tummy, but needed to run and that made the difference. She missed seven days and whereas she did well maybe it freshened Hydrangea up. The winner will stay further and could go for the [G1] Prix de l'Opera [at Chantilly Oct. 1]. Winter is in the Arc, and the Opera is another option.”
After playing second fiddle to his son Frankel (GB) earlier on the card, Galileo was back in charge where it mattered and Hydrangea proved one of his typically hardy products. She is the second group 1 winner for the G2 Prix du Gros-Chene and G3 Prix d'Arenberg scorer Beauty Is Truth after the G1 Ranvet S. hero The United States, who is also by Galileo, while her half-sister is the G3 Phoenix Sprint S. winner Fire Lily who also ran second in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac. The second dam Zelding captured the G3 Prix du Bois before producing the Listed Prix Finlande scorer and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up Glorious Sight (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) who was also third in the G1 Prix de Diane. The third dam Zelda produced two more group scorers in the G2 Prix Robert Papin-winning sire Zipping (Ire) and the G3 Prix du Petit-Couvert winner Nipping (Ire) (Night Shift) and is a half-sister to five black-type winners headed by the GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero and leading sire Last Tycoon (Ire) and the Listed Prix la Camargo winner Side of Paradise (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). She is herself the dam of the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois heroine Immortal Verse (Ire) who shares Pivotal as a sire with Beauty Is Truth. The latter also has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old full-brother to the winner named Adelphi (Ire) and filly yearling and foals by the same sire.
Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
COOLMORE FASTNET ROCK MATRON S.-G1, €350,000, LEO, 9-9, 3yo/up, f, 8fT, 1:41.89, gd.
1–HYDRANGEA (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Beauty Is Truth (Ire) (MGSW-Fr, $226,426), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Zelding (Ire), by Warning (GB)
3rd Dam: Zelda (Ire), by Caerleon
*1st Group 1 win. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Beauty Is Truth Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Wayne Lordan. €206,500. Lifetime Record: 13-3-4-2, $688,698. *Full to The United States (Ire), G1SW-Aus & GSW-Ire, $1,684,244; and 1/2 to Fire Lily (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), Hwt. 3yo-Ire at 5-7f, MGSW & G1SP-Ire, G1SP-Fr & GSP-Eng, $412,541. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]2–Winter (Ire), 126, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Laddies Poker Two (Ire), by Choisir (Aus). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Laddies Poker Two Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €70,000.
3–Persuasive (Ire), 131, f, 4, Dark Angel (Ire)–Choose Me (Ire), by Choisir (Aus). (€180,000 Ylg '14 GOFORB). O-Cheveley Park Stud; B-J F Tuthill (IRE); T-John Gosden. €35,000.
Margins: HD, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 20.00, 1.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Wuheida (GB), Qemah (Ire), Roly Poly, Rhododendron (Ire), Intricately (Ire), Diamond Fields (Ire), Bean Feasa (GB). Scratched: Laganore (Ire), Unforgetable Filly (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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