Poetic Charm Backs Up In Balanchine

[Wandering Eyes]

Teofilo (Ire)’s half-sister Poetic Charm (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) made it two-for-two in group races on the season with another comfortable victory in Thursday’s G2 Balanchine S. at Meydan for trainer Charlie Appleby.

Tucking in behind runners from the outside gate, Poetic Charm and William Buick bided their time in behind runners while Monza (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Asoof (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) contested the pace. Swinging wide for running room turning for home, Poetic Charm charged to the lead under a drive and never looked in doubt down the stretch. Mia Tesoro (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) followed her run but was clearly second best, while Peri Lina (Tur) (Falco), who had caused plenty of drama in the gates pre-race, also rallied late to grab third.

The 4-year-old filly could just be hitting career-best form; she showed promise at two, winning two of three outings, but failed to fully live up to her pedigree last season, her best effort from six starts being a listed win in France, while she also picked up a placing in Deauville’s G3 Prix de Lieurey. She was making her seasonal debut when she won Meydan’s G2 Cape Verdi S. by four lengths on Jan. 17 and was stepping up another furlong on Thursday.

“It was one of those strappy little fields and the worst thing you can do in those races is to not give the opposition the respect, so we gave them the respect and knew we had to get everything right at our end and that she could produce what she did there,” said Buick. “It is lovely and she relaxes so nicely now, the extra furlong was not a problem for her. She has just opened up a few more opportunities for herself. She proved last time that she is a quality filly that she really fills herself up for the race. She has a great finishing kick. The combination of being drawn six of six and an extra furlong, it was important to get the first furlong right and then take it from there. She has won two Group 2s now, so she will be looking for the elusive Group 1.”

Pedigree Notes

Now that she has recorded two rapid-fire group races wins of her own, Poetic Charm can be known as more than just Teofilo’s little sister, but that family element will no doubt make her all the more valuable going forward. She is also a full-sister to the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial winner Bean Feasa (GB), and the dam Speirbhean (Ire) (Danehill), who herself enjoyed a career high in that same Classic trial, is a daughter of multiple Canadian champion Victorian Queen (Victoria Park) and a half-sister to Grade I winners Judge Angelucci (Honest Pleasure), War (Majestic Light) and Peace (Naskra). Speirbhean, now 21, produced a Dark Angel (Ire) colt last year. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

Thursday, Meydan, Dubai
BALANCHINE (SPONSORED BY gulfnews.com)-G2, $250,000, Meydan, 2-14, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, f/m, 1800mT, 1:49.60, gd.
1–POETIC CHARM (GB), 129, f, 4, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Speirbhean (Ire) (GSW-Ire), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Saviour, by Majestic Light
3rd Dam: Victorian Queen, by Victoria Park
O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick.
$150,000. Lifetime Record: 11-6-1-0, $394,202. *Full to Bean
Feasa (GB), GSW-Ire; 1/2 to Teofilo (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Ch. 2yo
Colt-Eur, Hwt. 2yo Colt-Ire & Eng, G1SW-Ire & Eng, $382,066.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A.
2–Mia Tesoro (Ire), 126, m, 6, Danehill Dancer (Ire)–Souter’s
Sister (Ire), by Desert Style (Ire). O/B-Deron Pearson (IRE);
T-Charlie Fellowes. $50,000.
3–Peri Lina (Tur), 126, f, 4, Falco–Efisia (Fr), by Efisio (GB).
O/B-Fedai Kahraman (TUR); T-Hasan Boyraz. $20,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 3/4, 2HF. Also Ran: Asoof (GB), Furia Cruzada (Chi), Monza (Ire). Click for the Emirates Racing chart. VIDEO.

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