Qatar Racing Limited’s Queen of The Pride (GB) will take on seven rivals as she steps up to Group 1 company for the first time Thursday in the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks (G1) at York. The winner of the 1 1/2-mile showpiece for fillies and 3-years-old mares (and up) is guaranteed an automatic starting position in the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races in 12 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
Queen of The Pride, who Oisin Murphy will partner, has been climbing the ranks of late, winning the Betfred Nifty 50 Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes (G3) and bet365 Lancashire Oaks (G2) at Haydock Park in her latest starts. Out of Group 1 winner Simple Verse (IRE), she chases a third straight win and a first Group 1 for the John & Thady Gosden yard, who have won this contest four times and most recently in 2019 with Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) heroine Enable (GB).
David Redvers, Qatar Racing & Bloodstock Manager, said of Queen of The Pride: “She’s having a fantastic season and we’re very excited about her. It’s lovely. This has been the plan for some time. We’ve always thought she was a very nice filly and she’s out of a St Leger (G1) winner. She was one of the best mares, if not the best, to go to Roaring Lion, so it’s what we always hoped for.”
The Gosden team will also run the Lloyd Webber, Tactful Finance, and Stuart Roden-owned Emily Upjohn (GB), who has endured a frustrating year so far. The dual Group 1-winning mare failed to back up her excellent second place behind Bluestocking (GB) in the Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) when finishing sixth in the Qatar Nassau Stakes (G1) earlier this month.
The 1-2 finishers from last month’s Juddmonte Irish Oaks (G1) will reoppose at York. Valmont & Newsell Park Stud’s You Got To Me (GB) got the better of Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith-owned Content (IRE) in a pulsating finish at the Curragh. Further back that day was the Aidan O’Brien-trained Port Fairy (IRE), who only beat one rival home. Previously, she had looked a filly on the up when defeating the Elwick Stud-owned Lava Stream (IRE) in the Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot.
Helena Springfield’s Mistral Star (GB) posted a career-best when a comfortable winner of the listed Ric And Mary Hambro Aphrodite Fillies’ Stakes on her latest start for Hughie Morrison, while Sea Theme (IRE) won with similar ease last time out in a Listed contest at Clairefontaine and completes the field of eight.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks to start in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, which will be run at 1 3/8 miles at Del Mar. Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 21 to receive the rewards.
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Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.