Impressive Royal Ascot winner Bedtime Story comfortably maintained her unbeaten record with a professional display in the Jockey Club of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown.
Aidan O'Brien’s daughter of Frankel, who is out of the speedy Mecca’s Angel, returned to the scene of her winning debut following her spectacular nine-and-a-half-length romp against the colts in the Chesham Stakes.
Sent off as a 1-16 favourite in the hands of Ryan Moore for this Group Three contest, her jockey never had a moment’s worry as Bedtime Story was urged to move alongside stablemate Exactly with a furlong to run before breezing away for a commanding three-and-a-half-length success.
Bedtime Story lands the hat-trick in fine fashion, beating stablemate Exactly to land the Group 3 Jockey Club Of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes, under Ryan Moore for Aidan O'Brien 🙌 pic.twitter.com/EAkmka6Fqv
— Leopardstown RC (@LeopardstownRC) July 25, 2024
"I’m delighted with her, Ryan was delighted with her and said he didn’t open her up," said O’Brien.
"He said she was very green and in an ideal world, he would have preferred the tempo to be quicker. He said he just came there and taught her.
"That’s exactly what we came here for, for education. It’s a great place to do it.
"He said she’s very pacey and classy and for sure, we saw that. I’d say you couldn’t go fast enough for her.
"To hear him saying that he never opened her up is a good sign. That means he was only in third gear.
"It’s great to be educating them. Last year, we ran Ylang Ylang here, made the running and mentally it did her a little bit of harm for the rest of the year. We had to go back and start again.
"That’s why we let the other filly go along in front of her today, to educate her.
"I thought if she was well, she’d go for the Debutante at the Curragh on the way to the Moyglare.
"We’re teaching her to relax and race.
"The second filly is a lovely filly and she’ll step up to a mile whenever we want her to."
When asked to compare Bedtime Story with Albany Stakes winner Fairy Godmother, O’Brien added: "Obviously, I haven’t worked them together. We’ll all see together, but I won’t be opening them up at home.
"We were thinking about going to the Phoenix or the Morny with Fairy Godmother, but Whistlejacket might take that slot now, so I won’t rush with her.
"If everything went well with Whistlejacket in the Phoenix, he could go back to the Morny the week after, because he’s a fast two-year-old.
"Henri Matisse is going to go to the Futurity on the way to the National Stakes. We’re going to go up to seven with him next.
"Lake Victoria will probably end up in the Moyglare and might go to the Debutante for experience.
"The Lion In Winter is in the Goffs Million and he might have a run before it. It could be the Futurity, he just needs one run in between."
Hotazhell produced a taking display to claim the Group Three Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes.
It was Aidan O'Brien’s unbeaten Surpass who was sent off favourite and expected to enhance his reputation, but Shane Foley claimed the perfect position tracking the pace set by the market leader’s stablemate Swagman and was ideally placed to pounce when the race entered the business end.
Jessica Harrington’s 10-3 shot, who cost 200,000 guineas at the breeze-up sales, was pushed along to make his challenge when straightening for home and the son of Too Darn Hot hit top gear with a furlong to run as he stretched past Swagman and galloped on to register a length and a half success.
Surpass, who had previously won twice at Tipperary, could only plug on for third, a further two and a half lengths back.
Another winner for @Jessica_Racing, this time in the Group 3 Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes, as Hotazhell powers home under a strong ride from Shane Foley to win in convincing style 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BPfkG2skNZ
— Leopardstown RC (@LeopardstownRC) July 25, 2024
"That was nice, he’s a nice colt," said Harrington.
"He quickened up well, they went a good old gallop the whole way. He’s tough and he’ll probably just have one more run this year.
"He had to do it the hard way because he had to go and catch the pacemaker and then go away from him.
"Shane was thinking the other horse would come to him and take him along but it didn’t and he had to go and commit.
"He’ll go a mile, probably even this year. I don’t think we’ll go to the National Stakes, I’d say we’ll wait for something over a mile in September."
