Racing at York in the UK this week is putting the spotlight on classic three year-olds and the Group III Musidora Stakes for the fillies was run overnight and produced a potentially outstanding filly by champion sire Frankel.
Frankel has already sired an Epsom Oaks winner with Anapurna taking the classic in 2019 for John and Thady Gosden with Frankie Dettori in the saddle and the same connections may well strike again this year.
The G3 Musidora Stakes (1m2 ½ f) delivered an exciting new stakes-winner for Frankel with Soul Sister powering to a dominant four length victory under Frankie Dettori at her third start.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Soul Sister won her only start at two and then returned with an unplaced run on heavy ground in the Group III Fred Darling Stakes at 7f, but bounced back to put herself right in the picture for the Group I Epsom Oaks.
“We liked Soul Sister a lot when she won at Doncaster. I ran her below her trip in the Fred Darling. She was on the wing of the field, the ground was bottomless and I always tell them if they're not handling it, look after them. She had a nice piece of work, quite frankly, and it did her a power of good,” said John Gosden
“I didn't come here lightly. I spoke to Lady Bamford at length about the fact we need to know exactly how good she is. I knew the trip and ground would improve her and she's come to herself, a lot of the fillies have found it difficult with the cold, wet spring and she's just bloomed in her coat and shown her class today.
“She's trained very well for this. I expected a big run but I will admit I didn't expect her to win by four lengths. She will head to Epsom.”
A homebred for Lady Bamford, Soul Sister is a full sister to Group III winner Dreamflight and Group III placed Herman Hesse, who has found his way to Australia.
She is the fifth winner from five to race from Group II winning Dansili mare Dream Peace, a daughter of another Group II winner Only a Dream, the family producing Group I winning stayers Cerulean Sky and Moonstone and Group I winning sprinters Naval Crown and Aussie bred Wellington, the Champion HK Sprinter of 2022.
Soul Sister is the 116th stakes-winner for Frankel and is his fifth from a daughter of another of the Juddmonte sires in Dansili. The nick has produced 12 winners from 15 runners, so 80% winners to runners and the SW to runner is 33% with the best of them the Australian trained Group II winner Steinem.
