Two-for-two in France after successful raids in the G2 Prix Corrida over 10 1/2 furlongs at Saint-Cloud May 29 and G1 Prix Jean Romanet at this mile-and-a-quarter trip at Deauville Aug. 21, Speedy Boarding extended her perfect tally in this country in which the Helena Springfield silks had been carried to past success by the likes of Zee Zee Top (GB) (Zafonic), Izzi Top (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and Jazzi Top (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Opening her black-type account in the Listed Lord Weinstock Memorial S. over 10 furlongs at Newbury last June, the bay was fifth in the G1 Irish Oaks at The Curragh the following month and second in Yarmouth's Listed John Musker S. back over this trip in September. Ninth in the G1 QIPCO British Champion Fillies & Mares S. at Ascot in October, she returned to be fourth in the G2 Middleton S. over an extended 10 furlongs at York on her comeback May 12 prior to her Corrida breakthrough. Last of five behind Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh June 26, she bounced back to capture the Jean Romanet but she still had her doubters with the balance of her form still looking a shade below the standard required in this race.
Settled in third by Freddie Tylicki as last year's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine Pleascach was allowed to stride to the front after the initial stages, Speedy Boarding was sent up to challenge that rival at the top of the straight. Edging ahead passing the quarter pole, the Meon Valley homebred had to dig deep as the Irish challenger rallied against the rail and she may have been headed in the final 50 metres before giving a last thrust to win the bobber. The favourite So Mi Dar was keen early before staying on strongly to be a close-up third. “She ran a great race and noone deserved to lose,” the winning trainer James Fanshawe commented. “My filly is very courageous and so tough. She has had a great season and is a lovely filly to train and a lovely filly for her breeder to have. I would think now she will go straight to stud, as she had a hard race today and Ascot would come too soon. There is not really anything else for her.” Pleascach's trainer Jim Bolger said of the runner-up, “She has run extremely well and might not be finished for the season. Let's see what Sheikh Mohammed wants to do, because I go in the same direction as he does.” So Mi Dar's handler John Gosden said of the beaten favourite, “She got knocked back early in the race and got out to make her run late and it was too late. Let's see how she is and then make a plan.” Owner Lady Lloyd Webber added, “She loved the ground, but was all over the place and got in a terrible muddle. It just shows how hard group ones are to win.”
Meon Valley Stud had enjoyed success in this in 2003 with Zee Zee Top, decades after one of their first big moments in racing when One In a Million (Ire) (Rarity {GB}) captured the 1979 1000 Guineas. She is the fourth dam of this winner, whose dam was a listed winner for Fanshawe and is a half-sister to the G1 Yorkshire Oaks runner-up Dash To the Top (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}). Their respective second dam is the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. heroine Milligram, whose relations include the G1 Juddmonte International S. heroine One So Wonderful (GB) (Nashwan), the G2 Dante S. and G3 Craven S.-winning sire Alnasr Alwasheek (GB) and the G3 Rockfel S. winner and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas third Relatively Special (GB) (Alzao). Dash To the Front's 3-year-old colt Next Stage (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) cost Godolphin 800,000gns at Tattersalls and has won one of his three starts, while she also has an unraced 2-year-old colt named Joshua Reynolds (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), a yearling colt by Frankel (GB) and a 2016 colt by Dansili (GB).
Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX DE L'OPERA LONGINES-G1, €400,000, CHY, 10-2, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT, 2:02.03, gd.
1–SPEEDY BOARDING (GB), 128, f, 4, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Dash to the Front (GB) (SW-Eng), by Diktat (GB)
2nd Dam: Millennium Dash (GB), by Nashwan
3rd Dam: Milligram (GB), by Mill Reef
(95,000gns RNA Ylg '13 TAOCT). O-Helena Springfield Ltd; B-Meon Valley Stud (GB); T-James Fanshawe; J-Frederik Tylicki. €228,560. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 11-5-1-1, €524,593. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pleascach (Ire), 128, f, 4, Teofilo (Ire)–Toirneach, by Thunder Gulch. O-Godolphin; B/T-Jim Bolger (IRE). €91,440.
3–So Mi Dar (GB), 123, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Dar Re Mi (GB), by Singspiel (Ire). O-Lord Lloyd-Webber; B-Watership Down Stud (GB); T-John Gosden. €45,720.
Margins: SHD, HF, 3HF. Odds: 4.80, 6.00, 0.70.
Also Ran: Jemayel (Ire), Royal Solitaire (Ire), Sea Front (Fr), Pagella (Ger). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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