Fillies Mile Glory For Frankel's Quadrilateral

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Nobody quite knew what to expect from Juddmonte's TDN Rising Star Quadrilateral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in Friday's G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket and despite showing greenness, there was no shortage of spirit and class as she grasped victory from the jaws of defeat with a small amount of authority from Powerful Breeze (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}). Left behind and seemingly in trouble as that G2 May Hill S. winner went for the kill passing the two-furlong pole, the 9-4 favourite responded to Jason Watson's driving to narrow the gap heading up the rising ground and reel her in close home for a head success, with Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 1 1/2 lengths back in third. “She's out of this world–it's only her third run and she's never gone a gallop like that before,” Watson said of the homebred relative of Three Valleys (Diesis {GB}) who was a nine-length winner of the “Dubai Duty Free Full of Surprises” Conditions S. at Newbury last time Sept. 20. “Newmarket is not the easiest place to deal with and I couldn't thank her enough for getting me out of trouble. She was tough and battled it out.”

Connections of Quadrilateral may have been in some ways in the dark when it came to how she would fare in such company, there was a powerful hint that they believed they were dealing with something special as they took the plunge to supplement alongside Powerful Breeze. As it turned out, the pair dominated the finish with the difference being the finishing kick that eluded the strong-staying Irish pair of Love and Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}). It was the latter who was at the forefront of the “big four” early tracking West End Girl (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), but she was in trouble approaching the two-furlong pole after Jason Watson had already applied a reminder to the favourite in behind.

With Ryan Moore still going strong on the G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine Love, James Doyle was forced to commit early on Powerful Breeze and she responded with potent acceleration heading down into the “dip” to appear to settle the result. Quadrilateral had felt the whip again in the meantime, but it was when she met the climb to the line that she began to really engage against the far rail and the closing surge which had impressed all at Newbury came into play. Collaring Hugo Palmer's stable star inside the last 50 yards, she had real momentum heading to the line and her unbeaten sequence was left intact.

Trainer Roger Charlton said, “I don't know if it was two out or even three out that I thought, 'we're not running well here. We're coming off the bridle and it's not going to happen', but she kept responding and I thought she did really well to get there. I guess the gap was diminishing up the rail a bit, but she fought like a good one and handled the track. It was a great effort, really, as it was a proper race today.”

Reflecting on how far the winner had come in a short space of time, he added, “We don't gallop the two-year-olds that hard, so when she won first time out she needed the race and class won it for her. She then took us a bit by surprise when she won so easily last time. We didn't learn that much and we hadn't done much work since, but today was a proper test. The easier option was to go for the Oh So Sharp Stakes. It is not often you get good fillies come along and I thought, 'hopefully she can win that and keep the dream open for May', rather than taking on the best but the management encouraged me to run her in this race and result was good.”

A return for the fillies' mile Classic in May is first and foremost now. “I guess we'll come back for the Guineas–I see no reason not to come back. I guess we would probably come straight here without a prep run. She looks like she might stay further, as she didn't look like a short runner there today. I've not won a Guineas or a group one with a two-year-old until now, so she would be the best filly I've had.”

Hugo Palmer said of Powerful Breeze, “She has lost precious little in defeat. I think with any May Hill winner that runs in the Fillies' Mile, you are already thinking of her as a Guineas prospect. She galloped here three weeks ago and handled the track well and she certainly handled it better than the winner. She ran great. I think she was in front for a very long time, but I don't think she was in front too soon. You have to play the hand you are dealt. Quadrilateral was going nowhere in the dip. Hopefully she learnt to hate Newmarket and will never come again, rather than practice makes perfect!”

Quadrilateral's dam Nimble Thimble (Mizzen Mast), who also raced for this yard and won a maiden over an extended nine furlongs at Wolverhampton, is already responsible for the 3-year-old colt Boardman (GB) (Kingman {GB}) who was third in this year's Listed Prix de Saint-Patrick. She is a half-sister to the aforementioned G3 Coventry S. and GII Del Mar Breeders' Cup-winning sire Three Valleys and to the dam of the Australian stakes-winning sons of Redoute's Choice (Aus) in Scissor Kick (Aus) and Sharkbite (Aus).

The third dam is Kerali (GB) (High Line {GB}), dam of Juddmonte's famed Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) whose list of high-class progeny need no re-telling. Frankel has sired three smart types from her daughters, with the GI Beverly D. S. and GI Matriarch S. heroine Heat Haze (GB) (Green Desert) contributing the G3 Glorious S. scorer Mirage Dancer (GB) and the unraced Very Good News (Empire Maker) and Responsible (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) throwing last year's G1 Irish St Leger third Weekender (GB) and this year's G2 Prix de Sandringham scorer and G1 Prix Rothschild third Obligate (GB) respectively.

Skiable's listed-winning half-sister Arrive (GB) (Kahyasi {Ire}) was responsible for another two of the operation's classier fillies in the G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine Promising Lead (GB) (Danehill) and Visit (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who took the G3 Oak Tree S. and G3 Princess Margaret S. and was placed in the G1 Sun Chariot S., GI Gamely S., GI Yellow Ribbon S., GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf and GI Matriarch S. This is also the family of the G2 Prix de Malleret and GII Sheepshead Bay S. winner Treat Gently (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}). Nimble Thimble's yearling filly is a full-sister to Quadrilateral (GB), while she also has a colt foal by Kingman (GB).

Friday, Newmarket, Britain
BET365 FILLIES' MILE-G1, £567,500, Newmarket, 10-11, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:37.75, g/s.
1–QUADRILATERAL (GB), 126, f, 2, by Frankel (GB)">Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Nimble Thimble, by Mizzen Mast
2nd Dam: Skiable (Ire), by Niniski
3rd Dam: Kerali (GB), by High Line (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Roger Charlton; J-Jason Watson, £321,829. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $418,599. *1/2 to Boardman (GB) (Kingman {GB}), SP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Powerful Breeze (GB), 126, f, 2, Iffraaj (GB)–Power of Light (Ire), by Echo of Light (GB). (50,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Dr Ali Ridha; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Hugo Palmer. £122,013.
3–Love (Ire), 126, f, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Pikaboo (GB), by Pivotal (GB). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £61,063.
Margins: HD, 1HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.25, 7.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Cayenne Pepper (Ire), Boomer (GB), Queen Daenerys (Ire), Ananya (GB), Anastarsia (Ire), West End Girl (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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