By Tom Frary
Following an encouraging debut fifth behind Gracious Diana (GB) (Foxwedge {Aus}) over 10 furlongs at Newbury Apr. 21 with a maiden win at that trip at Ascot May 12, Mori took another step up the ladder at this track at which her dam excelled when winning three renewals of the G1 Nassau S. Taking a tow from Coconut Creme early, the bay began to assert her superiority over that rival passing the quarter pole and stayed on to book a ticket to Royal Ascot. “She is bred to win at Goodwood, as her father won two Sussex Stakes and her mother won three Nassaus,” Juddmonte's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe commented. “If we were ever to breed a winner for Goodwood, this is the one. When she won at Ascot, she was doing her best work in the last furlong and really today it was pretty much the same thing. I think all being well we will head to Royal Ascot for the [G2] Ribblesdale [S. June 22] and take it from there. On that, you'd be pretty confident she'd have no problems getting a mile and a half. She was green first time out at Newbury, and it was a learning curve at Ascot, but she was quite professional today. She was really well balanced and relaxed.”
Midday was one of the late Sir Henry Cecil's great stories during the late section of his training career, as although she was overshadowed by Frankel's incredible run of barnstorming successes during her last season in 2011 she was a consistent siphon of group 1 glory. Alongside her three Nassaus, she also took the G1 Yorkshire Oaks, G1 Prix Vermeille and GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf and it is interesting that her first two foals have won black-type. Days after her G3 Sandown Classic Trial-winning half-brother Midterm proved a touch disappointing in the G3 Aston Park S., Mori smoothed out that bump in the road for her dam here. As Midday's half-brother Midsummer Sun (GB) (Monsun {Ger}) stayed at least a mile and a half and her more speedily-bred half-sister Hot Snap (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) was third in the Nassau herself, there is every chance that Mori will stay at least 12 furlongs with the most recent evidence of the Frankels being that they are seeing out middle distances well. This is also the family of the G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Reams of Verse (Nureyev). Midday's 2-year-old colt and yearling filly are also by Frankel with the former named Midi (GB), while her foal is full to Midterm.
MARKEL HEIGHT OF FASHION S.-Listed, £40,000, GOO, 5-25, 3yo, f, 9f 197yT, 2:06.40, gd.
1–#MORI (GB), 126, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)">Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Midday (GB) (Hwt. Older Mare-Eng at 9 1/2-11f & 11-14f, MG1SW-Eng, G1W-US & Fr, MG1SP-Ire, $3,438,502), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Midsummer (GB), by Kingmambo
3rd Dam: Modena, by Roberto
O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute; J-Ryan Moore. £23,680. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $37,389. *1/2 to Midterm (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), GSW-Eng & GSP-Fr, $117,202.
2–Coconut Creme (GB), 126, f, 3, Cape Cross (Ire)–Soft Centre (GB), by Zafonic. O-Normandie Stud Ltd. £8,956.
3–Indian Blessing (GB), 126, f, 3, Sepoy (Aus)–Alpen Glen (GB), by Halling. (€95,000 Ylg '15 ARAUG; €170,000 2yo '16 ARQMAY). O-Mr P K Siu. £4,476.
Margins: 1 3/4, NK, HF. Odds: 1.85, 7.00, 16.00.
Also Ran: Elas Ruby (GB), Gakku (GB), Falcon Cliffs (Ire), Icespire (GB). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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