There could hardly have been more contrasting winners at Newmarket yesterday than Simply Perfect and Turbo Linn, who shared the honours on a blustery opening to the July Festival.
A daughter of Danehill, Simply Perfect was to the Falmouth Stakes born. Turbo Linn, by contrast, prefaced her Lancashire Oaks triumph by winning a series of bumpers over the winter. She is by the obscure stallion Turbo Speed, who is at least portentously named when his daughter made hacks of some aristocratic opponents.
Simply Perfect owed her victory in the UAE Hydra Properties-sponsored prize almost entirely to the man in her saddle. Not only did Johnny Murtagh choose the front-running strategy, he played it to perfection in resisting Iridescence and Arch Swing, with Nannina a disappointing fourth.
In the preamble Murtagh convinced Jeremy Noseda that a change of tactics would suit Simply Perfect, whose stamina had previously failed her in the Oaks. The trainer listened intently to Murtagh and replied: “If you really believe that, I’m right behind you.”
To pull it off, Murtagh knew he needed to usurp Irridescence. The South African-trained mare habitually runs from the front but these new surroundings caused her to baulk soon after the start. Murtagh needed no prompting to take up the slack. “After two furlongs she was lovely,” he said. “And three furlongs out I knew they would struggle to catch me.”
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That was because Murtagh deftly slowed the pace in the middle of the race. He was now in prime position to orchestrate the sprint for home and, having opened up two furlongs out, Simply Perfect was never threatened thereafter. The slow winning time, relative to the other races yesterday, amplified Murtagh’s prowess.
“She gave me a terrible ride in the Oaks when she pulled hard all the way,” he related. “I was sure she would settle better in front.” So it proved. And while Noseda paid tribute to Murtagh, he was also keen to give Simply Perfect credit. “They all had their chance to beat her,” he said. “But she fought them all off.”
No such larceny was required of Turbo Linn, who toyed with her opponents before winning, unextended, by four lengths. On this evidence the four-year-old cannot be far behind the best of her sex. She also underlined the formidable training skills of Alan Swinbank, who shot to prominence through the giant-slaying international deeds of Collier Hill.
Swinbank was the man least surprised by Turbo Linn, who has erupted onto the Flat racing scene by the same route Swinbank plotted for Alfie Flits. Like Turbo Linn, Alfie Flits started life in bumpers before traversing to the Flat. When she out-galloped Alfie Flits in their home-work last week, Swinbank fancied his chances. The trainer said: “The Irish St Leger is a possibility for her now.”
Turbo Linn’s Cinderella-style triumph was almost matched by Festoso in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cherry Hinton Stakes. But the representative of first-season trainer Harry Dunlop whose father, John, saddled a quick-fire double yesterday was caught close home by a veritable blue-blood in You’resothrilling.
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You’resothrilling is a full-sister to the Iron Horse, Giant’s Causeway. It is impossible to quantify how much this victory makes her worth £10 million may be no exaggeration but more pertinently for fans, she shares many traits with her exceptional sibling. She battled hard to run down Festoso and will improve when stretching out over seven furlongs and beyond.
You’resothrilling etched one more notch in Ballydoyle’s belt, but Godolphin hinted at renewing racecourse rivalry when Rio De La Plata distanced himself from a handsome cast in the seven-furlong two-year-old maiden.