Unbeaten in non-black-type company but only seventh when pitched high in the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville in August, Usherette overcame some significant home-trained talent here to secure yet another major British prize for Andre Fabre. Never a factor but only four lengths adrift of Amazing Maria in the Rothschild after two wins at Chantilly, the bay was put away for the year and returned to rebuild her confidence with two further conditions wins on the Polytrack at Deauville Mar. 8 and Chantilly Apr. 4. After that latest dismissal of the proven black-type yardstick Kenouska (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) over seven furlongs, her master trainer's eye was focused at a track that he has enjoyed much success at down the years but her task was a daunting one with the likes of Amazing Maria and the G1 Juddmonte International S. heroine Arabian Queen providing a solid bedrock to this renewal. It was the latter who set the pace that Usherette was content to follow buried by Mickael Barzalona against the rail in mid-division and after Jeff Smith's homebred turned the screw approaching the last two furlongs the French filly was the only one in behind to move up through the gears. Belying her inexperience in these type of races by rolling comfortably down the hill to the furlong pole, she edged ahead of the long-time leader 100 yards later to assert for an ultimately cosy success. “It was a big step up, but she has a wonderful turn of foot and won very easily,” Barzalona said. “The strong pace helped, but she still travelled a little keenly. I would have liked to have dropped her out more, but I had no choice.” Fabre is aiming to return to these shores with Usherette due to a lack of miling opportunities for fillies and mares in his home country. “I brought her here, as in France we don't have any races restricted to the females,” he explained. “She's good and she works like a top-class filly. We'll come back for the [G1] Falmouth [S. at Newmarket's July meeting July 8] or for the Group Two [the June 15 Duke of Cambridge S.] in [Royal] Ascot. She has the best weapon as a racehorse, which is acceleration. She has more acceleration than Esoterique, but the class is the same. She is among the best, this was only her sixth race and she will improve.” Arabian Queen's trainer David Elsworth is looking ahead to another clash with the colts and said, “The [G1] Coronation Cup [at Epsom June 4] is what I'd like to run her in, but that looks like being a really good race this year with the likes of Roger Varian's horse [Postponed]. We won our Group One, so we might as well take them on. It is just a case of whether we take in the [G2] Middleton S. [at York May 12] before that. This filly will get a mile and a half. She does run well fresh, she just doesn't run well when she's flat. She is a filly to die for and, as long as she goes the right way from here, I expect her to improve.” David O'Meara was pleased with the comeback effort of Amazing Maria and commented, “We were happy with her, as running over nine furlongs was not ideal. We had to start here or in the [G1] Lockinge [S. at Newbury May 14] and looking at that field a few of them would have runs under their belts and we were not keen to go there without a run. We might go to the Lockinge, if not we will wait for Royal Ascot, we'll see how she is.” As is expected for one in Godolphin's royal blue from this stable, Usherette is one regally-bred individual. She is the first foal and first black-type winner for the SP Monday Show, the daughter of the G3 Prix Penelope scorer La Sylphide (Swi) who also produced the dual graded-stakes winner Expansion to a mating with Maria's Mon. The next dam Vanishing Prairie (Alysheba), a half-sister to the G1SW champion and top producer Verveine (Lear Fan), is responsible for the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Prix Jean Prat-winning sire Vespone (Ire) (Llandaff) from the family of the further top-level scorers Maid's Causeway (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) and Vallee Enchantee (Ire) (Peintre Celebre). Monday Show also has a 3-year-old full-sister to the winner, the already-successful Show Day (Ire) and also a 2-year-old colt named Powderhouse (Ire) by Raven's Pass and an unnamed yearling colt by Cape Cross (Ire).
Sunday, Newmarket, Britain
CHARM SPIRIT AT TWEENHILLS IN 2017 DAHLIA S.-G2, £90,000, NEW, 5-1, 4yo/up, f, 9fT, 1:51.06, gd.
1–#@USHERETTE (IRE), 126, f, 4, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Monday Show (SP-Ger), by Maria's Mon
2nd Dam: La Sylphide (Swi), by Barathea (Ire)
3rd Dam: Vanishing Prairie, by Alysheba
O-Godolphin SNC; B-Darley (IRE); T-Andre Fabre; J-Mickael Barzalona. £51,039. Lifetime Record: 6-5-0-0, $138,875. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Arabian Queen (Ire), 126, f, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Barshiba (Ire), by Barathea (Ire). O-J C Smith; B-Littleton Stud (IRE); T-David Elsworth. £19,350.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]3–Amazing Maria (Ire), 126, m, 5, Mastercraftsman (Ire)–Messias Da Silva, by Tale of the Cat. O/B-Sir Robert Ogden (IRE); T-David O'Meara. £9,684.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: 1, 4HF, HF. Odds: 5.00, 7.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Irish Rookie (Ire), Furia Cruzada (Chi), Kyllachy Queen (Ire), Jazzi Top (GB), Persona Grata (GB), Crystal Zvezda (GB).
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
