While a winner for Frankel (GB) was widely expected and duly delivered here, it was Queen Kindly and not Fair Eva who stepped up to provide him with his biggest success to date. Third in the June 17 G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot either side of confidence-building wins at the provincial track Catterick June 3 and July 13, Jaber Abdullah's beloved homebred emulated her dam Lady of the Desert and second dam Queen's Logic who won this in 2001 and 2009 to provide another highlight for jockey Jamie Spencer at the current Ebor meeting. In rear early in line with Fair Eva, the chestnut was shaken up approaching the quarter pole and weaved between rivals as Juddmonte's hot favourite was committed by Pat Smullen out wide. Rushing by that rival and Roly Poly 150 yards out, she stayed on in determined fashion to see off the Ballydoyle runner who was carrying a penalty as Fair Eva failed to finish off as she had last time.
Jamie Spencer, who rode Syphax (Arch) to success in the previous day's G3 Acomb S., commented, “The odds didn't reflect her chances–she ran at Ascot and on soft ground she couldn't get to grips with the winner, but every time you ride her she gets more powerful,” Spencer said. “She was running away in behind and was gutsy and tenacious. She can take it all–she's very professional and at this stage of her career she is ahead of the rest. She is a gorgeous filly with a great attuitude. Richard [Fahey] fancied her and said not to worry about the other Frankel.” That trainer added, “It just looked a bit tight about a furlong and a half out, but once the gap opened I knew she'd pick up. From day one she has been very easy to train–a strong filly, great mind, doing everything right and showing lots of speed. The fact that there is a bit of attention with Frankels, I didn't want to be the first to run one, so I waited until one had run. She could have run in the Brocklesby [at Doncaster in March], but we haven't rushed her. She's always had talent and she's shown that now and she takes after the mother more than her father.” Of future plans, he added, “The [G1] Cheveley Park [S. at Newmarket Sept. 24] is the obvious plan. I'd just be a bit worried she might not be a Guineas filly. We'll have to see.”
Fair Eva received the first dent to her deservedly tall reputation as she flattened out late on after looking the winner with just over a furlong remaining, but trainer Roger Charlton was inclined to believe that she did not run her true race. “I've got no excuses. Pat [Smullen] said she ran flat,” he explained. “She was never going that well at any stage, she got a bit warm beforehand but nothing too bad. They've run a quick time and were five lengths clear, but we don't have an answer. We'll reassess before making any plans.” TDN Rising Star Roly Poly again ran with abundant credit as she attempted to force the issue under her penalty and Coolmore representative Kevin Buckley said, “We're very pleased with her, she got the ground she likes again. We have to be happy, as we were conceding three pounds to the winner. Seamus [Heffernan] was very complimentary, it looks like she's been beaten by a good one. I don't know the plans, but we'll be searching for that ground again.”
One of the best-bred of the Frankels to race so far, Queen Kindly is the first foal out of the aforementioned high-class sprinter Lady of the Desert, who captured Ascot's G2 Diadem S. before it became part of Champions Day as well as this race. She was as effective at five and six furlongs, placing second in the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp and getting much of her deadly pace from her own dam Queen's Logic (Ire) (Grand Lodge). She achieved champion status for the same owner and trainer Mick Channon during 2001, when she conquered the G1 Cheveley Park S., this prize and the G3 Queen Mary S. before injury struck after her return success in the G3 Fred Darling S. at three. She is a half to none other than the multiple group 1 winner Dylan Thomas (Ire), whose highlights came in the Irish Derby and Arc, and also the runaway G1 1000 Guineas winner Homecoming Queen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) whose daughter First of Spring (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won the opener at Deauville on Thursday. Also featuring under the formidable Lagrion is the G1 Epsom Oaks runner-up Remember When (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), whose Galileo pair Wedding Vow (Ire) and Beacon Rock (Ire) have done her proud with the former winning the G2 Kilboy Estate S. and finishing second in the G1 Nassau S. and the latter capturing the G3 Gallinule S. and finishing runner-up in the G2 King Edward VII S. this season. Lady of the Desert has a yearling half-sister by Exceed and Excel (Aus) and a colt foal by Kodiac (GB) to come.
Thursday, York, Britain
SKY BET LOWTHER S.-G2, £200,000, YOR, 8-18, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:09.84, g/f.
1–#@QUEEN KINDLY (GB), 126, f, 2, by Frankel (GB)">Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Lady of the Desert (Hwt. 3yo Filly-Eng at 5-7f, MGSW & MG1SP-Eng, G1SP-Fr, $488,177), by Rahy
2nd Dam: Queen's Logic (Ire), by Grand Lodge
3rd Dam: Lagrion, by Diesis (GB)
O-Jaber Abdullah; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Richard Fahey; J-Jamie Spencer. £113,420. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $169,098. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Roly Poly, 129, f, 2, War Front">War Front–Misty For Me (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). ($575,000 RNA Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Misty For Me Syndicate (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. £43,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”]3–Fair Eva (GB), 126, f, 2, Frankel (GB)">Frankel (GB)–African Rose (GB), by Observatory. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Roger Charlton. £21,520.
Margins: 3/4, 3/4, 4HF. Odds: 4.50, 7.50, 0.35.
Also Ran: Nations Alexander (Ire), Fashion Queen (GB), Clem Fandango (Fr), Kilmah (GB), Magical Fire (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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