By Tom Frary
Fifth but unlucky not to finish closer in the Listed Star S. last time, Alan Spence's West End Girl (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) applied the building block to up her game and conquer Newmarket's G3 German-thoroughbred.com Sweet Solera S. on Saturday. Badly hampered late and around two lengths behind stablemate Walk In Marrakesh (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in that Sandown encounter which took place in soaring temperatures July 25, the bay had provided her sire with his first winner on debut at Haydock July 5. In front from the outset, the 11-2 shot was tackled and headed by the smooth-travelling Dark Lady (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) a furlong out before it became physical as they bumped together. Finishing off strongly to win that war of attrition on the uphill climb, West End Girl had 1 1/4 lengths to spare over the staying-on Soffika (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) at the line with TDN Rising Star and 11-4 favourite Ultra Violet (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) fading disappointingly to last after racing far too freely.
Trainer Mark Johnston's son and assistant Charlie had one target in mind for the winner immediately afterwards. “The [G2] May Hill [at Doncaster Sept. 12] is the obvious race for her and I was thinking that as soon as she crossed the line,” he said. “I thought she was in trouble at the two pole, but she was doing her best work in the last 100 yards and the mile will suit her there. We had left Sandown obviously quite pleased with the result, but also knowing that this filly had shown huge promise in defeat. She could even have won that with a clear passage and this more galloping track was going to suit her. She tended to lug left there and I don't know what that was about, but it was a pleasing performance.”
West End Girl, who now is the first black-type winner for her G1 Epsom Derby, G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and G1 Eclipse-winning sire, is out of a half-sister to the G1 Middle Park S., G1 Prix Morny and G2 Norfolk S. winner Reckless Abandon (GB) (Exchange Rate) and the stakes-winning and G2 Hai Aoba Sho runner-up Best Approach (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). This is the family of the G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Crowded House (GB) (Rainbow Quest), the GI American Oaks Invitational and GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup heroine Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) and the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest hero Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Free Rein (GB) (Dansili {GB}) also has a yearling filly by Lope de Vega (Ire) and a colt foal by Acclamation (GB).
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
GERMAN-THOROUGHBRED.COM SWEET SOLERA S.-G3, £50,000, Newmarket, 8-10, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:25.32, g/f.
1–WEST END GIRL (GB), 126, f, 2, by Golden Horn (GB)
1st Dam: Free Rein (GB), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Sant Elena (GB), by Efisio (GB)
3rd Dam: Argent du Bois, by Silver Hawk
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (95,000gns Ylg '18 TAOCT). O-A D Spence & M B Spence; B-Car Colston Hall Stud (GB); T-Mark Johnston; J-Francis Norton. £28,355. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $44,355. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Soffika (Ire), 126, f, 2, Zoffany (Ire)–Rosika (GB), by Sakhee. O-Sir Evelyn de Rothschild; B-Southcourt Stud (IRE); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £10,750.
3–Dark Lady (GB), 126, f, 2, Dark Angel (Ire)–Ladyship (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Richard Hannon. £5,380.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 1. Odds: 5.50, 4.50, 8.00.
Also Ran: Romsey (GB), Ananya (GB), Dalanijujo (Ire), Light Blush (Ire), Ultra Violet (GB). Scratched: Diamond Sparkles. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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