She’s a Julie returns to winning ways in Ogden Phipps

Not visiting the winner’s enclosure in five starts since her victory in last year’s Grade 1 La Troienne on Kentucky Derby day, She’s a Julie (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA}) put the losing streak behind her on Saturday with a win in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps S.

Racing over 1700 metres in her first start at Belmont Park, She’s a Julie broke smoothly and backed off the pace about 3l off the leading Blamed (USA) (Blame {USA}) with only two horses beat. Ollie’s Candy (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}) was the first to pressure the pacemaker and took over the lead in mid-turn as the rest of the field tried to close the margin the pacemakers had created.

By the top of the straight, the field was in full flight with She’s a Julie and Point Of Honor (USA) (Curlin {USA}) trying desperately to catch the leader with time running out. It took nearly every metre of the race for them to get there with She’s a Julie and Point Of Honor passing Ollie’s Candy in the shadow of the wire.

She’s a Julie was able to just hold off Point Of Honor for the win by a nose with Ollie’s Candy a neck back in third and the fourth placed Blamed 8.25l behind the trio.

It was the second Grade 1 win for She’s a Julie while Point Of Honor registered her fourth career Grade 1 placing.

Earning a spot in this fall’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff with the victory, She’s a Julie’s margin was so close that even assistant trainer Toby Sheets had to rewatch the race before believing she’s gotten her head in front.

"I had to watch it one more time to be sure,” he said. “It was very close. I said to [jockey Ricardo Santana Jr.] before the race that there was a lot of pace in there, and that's how the race unfolded. It was a very patient ride and the pace upfront helped. She ran super."

By former Darley Australia shuttle stallion Elusive Quality (USA), She’s a Julie is a half-sister to the dam of Listed-winning Ambassadorial (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA}) and was bred by Godolphin before being sold for US$160,000 (AU$233,482) as a yearling.

The 5-year-old mare’s granddam Parade Queen (USA) (A.P. Indy {USA}) is also the dam of Grade 3-winning Untouched Talent (USA) (Storm Cat {USA}), who produced Grade 1-winning Bodemeister (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}).

Magic Wand adds to resume in G2 Lanwades Stud S.

Making her first start since finishing ninth on the dirt in February’s Saudi Cup, Aidan O’Brien’s globe-trotting Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) only had to vanquish three overmatched foes on Saturday to win the G2 Lanwades Stud S. at the Curragh.

Racing at 1600 metres for the first time since her 2-year-old debut, the G1 Mackinnon S. winner’s biggest worry was the short distance for her first start in three and a half months. Racing second in the compact field, Magic Wand had a confident Seamie Heffernan aboard with the rider content to let her roll to the lead with 600 metres left to go.

Racing with her trademark high head carriage, Magic Wand pulled away from the field at that point to provide her jockey, trainer, owner and sire with a four-timer on the card. The Coolmore-owned mare won by an easy 4.5l over Hamariyna (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) with Silk Forest (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) coming in third.

A half-sister to G1 Irish Oaks winner Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), Magic Wand has placed in 14 stakes in six different countries with a fourth place finish in the G1 Cox Plate to her name as well.

Bought as a yearling for €1,400,000 at the Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale in 2016, the mare’s Listed winning dam is a half-sister to Group 3-winning Pacifique (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Listed-winning English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), one of the favourites for this year’s G1 Epsom Derby.

Belardo registers third winner

Haunui Farm’s young shuttle stallion Belardo (Ire) sired his third career winner and second in three days on Saturday when Isabella Giles (GB) visited the Leicester winner’s enclosure on debut.

Ridden prominently, Isabella Giles raced just off the leader down the straight 1200 metre course and was put under a ride with 500 metres to go. The filly soon took over to put in a workmanlike race to win by 0.5l

The Clive Cox-trained filly led home an Australasian shuttle sire top three with Shalaa’s (Ire) Famille Rose (Fr) second over Territories’ (Ire) Alghada (GB) for a first-season sire trifecta.

Out of Group 3 winner Majestic Dubawi (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Isabella Giles is a half-sister to Majestic Colt (GB) (Clodovil {Ire}) from the family of Saturday’s Irish 2000 Guineas third Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

The sires of the top three finishers will all have their first runners in Australia and New Zealand this coming season.

Franconia leads home four winner day for Frankel

While his sire was making history in Ireland, Frankel (GB) was having a big day of his own with four winners from six runners.

Frankel’s success was led home by Juddmonte homebred Franconia (GB), who added a stakes win to her two-race resume in the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF/MansionBet Abingdon Fillies’ S.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori for John Gosden, the filly bolted home to break her maiden in the race by 3.75l and become the 52nd stakes winner and 80th Northern Hemisphere-bred stakes horse for her sire.

The 3-year-old was one of three Frankels to win trained by John Gosden with Seventh Kingdom (GB) one of two 2-year-old winners on the day for Frankel when winning on debut at Doncaster.

Out of an Italian Group 1 winner, the well-bred Seventh Kingdom was facing a small field in the 1400 metre race and made it hard on himself when dwelling at the start. He quickly made up for it when grabbing the lead just outside the 200 metre mark and eased in the final stages to win by four easy lengths over Shalaa’s Longlai (Fr).

Five races later, Indigo Lake (GB) completed the treble for Frankel and Gosden in the final race at Doncaster.

A 3-year-old Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) grandson, Indigo Lake showed that being gelded in February was the secret to bringing out his talent with a 1.5l victory. The gelding had made three starts before the surgery, never finishing closer than 5.75l behind the winner but started his journey to live up to his breeding with Saturday’s maiden victory

A few hours before Franconia’s victory the fun started in Japan with Knock On Wood (Jpn). Making his debut, the colt became Frankel’s first 2-year-old winner of the Northern Hemisphere season in a 1400 metre race at Toyko when winning by a neck.