3 minute read
Ralph Beckett’s star filly made a striking winning reappearance in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes at York.
The Juddmonte-owned filly had failed to get her head in front since making a winning debut at Salisbury back in September 2022, but did bring some very solid form to the table having posted runner-up efforts in the Group 1 Irish Oaks and Group 1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot in October.
John and Thady Gosden's Free Wind was sent off the 15/8 favourite to follow up her triumph in this contest twelve months ago, but recently appointed stable jockey Kieran Shoemark soon found himself pushing away on the four-year-old and the eye was quickly drawn to her chief market rival Bluestocking.
Rossa Ryan eased his mount upside the front-running Sapphire Seas with three furlongs to travel and with the minimum of fuss, the daughter of Camelot quickly put daylight between herself and her rivals up the Knavesmire.
To her credit, Free Wind stuck on well for pressure to fill the runner-up spot, but she never looked like getting close to the runaway winner, who eventually went on to land the spoils by an impressive six lengths.
Infinite Cosmos finished a neck behind in third.
"It's about time, isn't it?" said Beckett . "She was a bridesmaid too many times last year and it's great to get that race under our belt," he said.
"She has been frustrating. I said to Barry Mahon (of Juddmonte) yesterday that I felt we'd done everything right, but you never know with her.
"I thought she looked well all week, saddling her I thought she could have looked better, but she's put it all together well today on a track that really suits her. She ran well here in the Yorkshire Oaks last year and I was quite happy to come back even if the ground did dry out.
"We tried the cheekpieces on her last start last year and had them on again. I always think the cheekpieces are pretty much a halfway house, you can take them off pretty easily and put them on pretty easily and I don't think she'll always need them.
"Perhaps she's just come of age today and we had all of our ducks in a row. She was full of confidence and Rossa rode her that way."
The Kimpton Downs handler was non-committal regarding future plans, added: "We're well entered up and we'll work it out as we go along, I think.
Bluestocking does hold an entry in the Coronation Cup in fifteen days' time but Beckett was keen to stress future plans remain open for the talented filly.
"The Coronation Cup is a possibility, but it's quite soon. We'll have a think and see how she comes out it, all options are open."
