TDN RISING STARS

August 24, 2018 - GOODWOOD, Race 2, Alw, GBP £10,400, 8.0F, .0000

Floating Artist (GB), C, 2, 2016 by Nathaniel (Ire)

1st Dam: Miss Kenton (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Do The Honours (Ire), by Highest Honor (Fr)
3rd Dam: Persian Secret (Fr), by Persian Heights (GB)

Owner: Mr Michael Pescod
Breeder: Canning Bloodstock Ltd (GB)
Trainer: Richard Hannon

Away from the intensity of York’s action, Goodwood’s evening meeting conjured up its own small piece of magic as a new TDN Rising Star arose from the gloom in Michael Pescod’s Floating Artist (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). Highly-regarded by Richard Hannon, the bay raced greenly in mid-division early in the Shaun Edwards Farriers Supporting Team Godolphin EBF Novice S. with Rossa Ryan animated in the saddle. Taking time to organise in the straight, the 10-1 shot was beginning to grind down the leaders when given a slap with the whip inside the final furlong and responded with a strong surge to overwhelm Fox Premier (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) 50 yards from the line. Hitting top stride only there, he had an official margin of 1 1/4 lengths to spare before romping off across the famed Sussex Downs. Fellow newcomer Aussie Nugget (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) finished a further length back in third.

“He was always going to be a back-end two-year-old and I didn’t think he knew enough to win first time out,� Hannon said. “This looked quite a nice race and he looks smart. He did one gallop when Mr Pescod came to see him and he went past the gallop and nearly ended up in my kitchen! He took off again past the line here. We’ll take our time, as he’s not the most mature horse mentally but ultimately we think he’s a good horse and he will go to those good races. We are trying to get more of these later types and although I’d like to think we have more like him I’m not sure we do.�

The winner is the first foal out of the grey Miss Kenton (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) who raced once unsuccessfully for the Andre Fabre stable in 2014. Her dam Do the Honours (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}) captured the G3 Prix de Meautry and produced Woven Lace (GB) (Hard Spun) who was runner-up in the G3 Prix de la Grotte and also the listed-placed Waitress (Kingmambo) who is now renowned as the dam of the recent G3 Gordon S. winner and G2 Great Voltigeur S. runner-up Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) who is Melbourne Cup-bound. The third dam Persian Secret (Fr) (Persian Heights {GB}), who was successful in the Listed Prix la Sorellina and later threw the Listed Chesham S. scorer and GI Mother Goose S. third Seba (GB) (Alzao), is out of the remarkable matriarch Rahaam (Secreto) who seems to crop up many times in the pedigree details of the leading performers. Just this week, the dam of Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) and Verglas (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}) and ancestress of Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never) was involved with another TDN Rising Star in Lone Peak (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Miss Kenton’s yearling by New Approach (Ire) was bought for 70,000gns by Darley Japan at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, while her 2018 filly is by Showcasing (GB).