By Tom Frary
The moment her rivals opted to allow TDN Rising Star Star Catcher (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and Frankie Dettori their own way in front soon after the start of Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp, the game was almost as good as up for them and Frankie went through the motions to bring home a personal 16th top-level winner in 2019. Soon on the lead after a slightly tardy break, Anthony Oppenheimer's homebred repeated the forcing tactics used when taking the G1 Irish Oaks at The Curragh July 20 and kicked decisively in the straight to put her opponents in strife. Keeping up the gallop, the 11-10 favourite had 3/4 of a length to spare over the race's surprise package Musis Amica (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) at the line, with a length back to another Fabre-trained 4-year-old in Ligne d'Or (GB) (Dansili {GB}). “She stays well and doesn't mind being in front, the ground was slick today and she likes that so I couldn't fault her,” Dettori said. “She's not put a foot wrong and was full of enthusiasm. She travelled really strongly at a decent gallop and kept it up.”
Star Catcher may not be tackling stablemate Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the Arc in three weeks' time, but she is quickly establishing an distinguished reputation of her own due to a patient and piecemeal approach to her racing career. After an inauspicious start to her career when sixth over a mile at Chelmsford in December, she advanced forward with mighty strides when earning TDN Rising Star status with a 4 1/2-length success in the same 10-furlong Newbury maiden Apr. 12 won by the future Oaks heroines Eswarah (GB) (Unfuwain) and Dancing Rain (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and last year by her high-class stablemate Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Third in the May 18 Listed Haras de Bouquetot Fillies' Trial S. over the same course and distance of her maiden win, she relished the step up to this trip at Ascot Royal and duly captured her first big prize when denying Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G2 Ribblesdale S. June 20. Repeating the dose in the Irish Oaks, the bay was encountering older opposition for the first time here and while the eventual second and third looked to have it to do to mix it with the Classic generation it was Musis Amica and Ligne d'Or who got closest.
John Gosden was enjoying yet another stellar weekend during a season which has catapulted him further into Newmarket legend and he said, “She doesn't have to race from the front, but Frankie is a genius at it. I think Longchamp is one of the most difficult tracks to ride in the world, but he loves it and once again produced a masterful ride. She's a very nice filly and all thanks go to her owner-breeder who managed to write her program from day one. She's not in the Arc and has two possible options in the [Oct. 19 G1 QIPCO British Champions] Fillies & Mares Turf or the [Nov. 2 GI] Breeders' Cup Turf. My other filly [Anapurna (GB) (Frankel {GB})] broke slowly and didn't like it on the inside, so this was not her day and she will be back.”
Last year's G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Musis Amica was back to her best under essential patient tactics and Godolphin's Lisa-Jane Graffard said, “We are absolutely delighted with her and Mickael Barzalona said she quickened really nicely and feels that she could potentially step up in trip again, although it is important that she has a fast pace to aim at. She has several entries on Arc weekend. She would have to improve significantly from this run to take her chance in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and another option could be the [Oct. 5] G1 Prix de Royallieu. Andre Fabre will see how she comes out of this race before making a decision, but hopefully she can come back to Longchamp for one the group one races in three weeks' time.”
Star Catcher is a half-sister to the GI Canadian International hero Cannock Chase (Lemon Drop Kid) and his G2 Prix Eugene Adam-winning full-brother Pisco Sour, with the dam Lynnwood Chase (Horse Chestnut {SAf}) a daughter of the listed-placed Lady Ilsley (Trempolino). If she turns up at Santa Anita, she will be bidding to extend the family's success at the Breeders' Cup as her relatives Action This Day (Kris S.) and Drefong (Gio Ponti) were successful on the major stage. Lynnwood Chase also has the unraced 2-year-old filly Maurimo (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a yearling filly by Frankel (GB) and a colt foal by Time Test (GB).
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX VERMEILLE-G1, €600,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-15, 3yo/up, f/m, 12fT, 2:27.63, gd.
1–STAR CATCHER (GB), 121, f, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Lynnwood Chase, by Horse Chestnut (SAf)
2nd Dam: Lady Ilsley, by Trempolino
3rd Dam: Sue Warner, by Forli (Arg)
(240,000gns Wlg '16 TATFOA). O-A E Oppenheimer; B-Hascombe & Valiant Studs (GB); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. €342,840. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Ire & GSW-Eng, 6-4-0-1, €721,750. *1/2 to Cannock Chase (Lemon Drop Kid), GISW-Can & MGSW-Eng, $680,268; and Pisco Sour (Lemon Drop Kid), GSW-Eng & Fr, $412,610. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Musis Amica (Ire), 129, f, 4, Dawn Approach (Ire)">Dawn Approach (Ire)–White Star (Ire), by Darshaan (GB). O-Godolphin SNC; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €137,160.
3–Ligne d'Or (GB), 129, f, 4, Dansili (GB)–Louve Nationale (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Ballymore Thoroughbred Ltd; B-Dayton Investments Ltd (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €68,580.
Margins: 3/4, 1, SNK. Odds: 1.10, 12.00, 48.00.
Also Ran: Villa Marina (GB), Fleeting (Ire), Channel (Ire), Anapurna (GB), Pink Dogwood (Ire), Tamniah (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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