Orpen’s Pretty Baby Wins the Oak Tree

[Wandering Eyes]

In a race of mixed fortunes, Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum’s Pretty Baby (Ire) (Orpen) had the right blend of a charmed run and being streetwise enough to land Friday’s G3 L’Ormarins Queens Plate Oak Tree S. at Goodwood. Earning a tilt at black-type with wins at Chelmsford in October and Redcar May 3 by a cumulative margin of 8 1/2 lengths, the bay proved more than comfortable in that territory when annexing Nottingham’s Listed Kilvington S. over six furlongs May 12 and was just a short-head shy of adding the G3 Summer S. to her tally at York July 13. Always in the right spot tracking the pace from her low draw, the 3-1 favourite ground her way to the front inside the last 75 yards to deny the luckless Dancing Star (GB) (Aqlaam {GB}) by a neck. “Dane [O’Neill]’s saddle slipped and she was lugging a bit, but this was her first time at seven and she liked it,” trainer William Haggas said. “We always thought she would. She would have won the Summer Stakes in another couple of strides and is getting better. She’s always been feisty and I think she can go up in grade now. She is in the [G2] Hungerford [at Newbury Aug. 18] and I think she’s got a bit to give over seven, so we’ll campaign her boldly now.”

On pedigree, there is no doubt that Pretty Baby has latent stamina as a daughter of an unraced half to the G2 Prix Hocquart and G3 Prix de Conde scorer Prairie Star (Fr) (Peintre Celebre) and the G2 Prix de Malleret winner Pacific Rim (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}). The second dam is the G3 Prix Minerve winner Prairie Runner (Ire) (Arazi), who is a half to Poussin (Ire) (Alzao) who scored at listed level and was second in the G1 Prix d’Ispahan. Pretty Baby was part of the Wildenstein dispersal from the Castlebridge Consignment at Goffs Orby 2016 and her subsequent physical development was notable enough for her to rise in value at last year’s Arqana Breeze-Up. Premiere Danseuse also has a yearling colt by Kendargent (Fr).

Friday, Goodwood, Britain
L’ORMARINS QUEENS PLATE OAK TREE S.-G3, £80,000, Goodwood, 8-3, 3yo/up, f, 7fT, 1:25.42, g/f.
1–PRETTY BABY (IRE), 123, f, 3, by Orpen
     1st Dam: Premiere Danseuse (GB), by Gold Away (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Prairie Runner (Ire), by Arazi
     3rd Dam: Paix Blanche, by Fabulous Dancer
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (€50,000 Ylg ’16 GOFORB; €190,000 2yo ’17 ARQMAY). O-Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Dayton Investments Ltd. (IRE); T-William Haggas; J-Dane O’Neill. £45,368. Lifetime Record: 6-4-2-0, $123,397. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dancing Star (GB), 129, m, 5, Aqlaam (GB)–Strictly Dancing (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). O-Mr J. C. Smith; B-Littleton Stud (GB); T-Andrew Balding. £17,200.
3–Indian Blessing (GB), 132, f, 4, Sepoy (Aus)–-Alpen Glen (GB), by Halling. (€95,000 Ylg ’15 ARAUG; €170,000 2yo ’16 ARQMAY). O-Mr P K Siu; B-Jocelyn Targett (GB); T-Ed Walker. £8,608.
Margins: NK, HF, HD. Odds: 3.00, 7.00, 20.00.
Also Ran: One Master (GB), Poetic Charm (GB), Most Gifted, Betty F (GB), Di Fede (Ire), Promising (Ire), Dance Diva (GB), Dan’s Dream (GB), Pepita (Ire), Carolinae (GB), Sequilla (Fr), Lida (Ire), Binti Al Nar (Ger). Scratched: Could It Be Love, Shepherd Market (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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