Group/Graded double for Bated Breath

Two-year-old Bated Breath filly Sacred Bridge was the first to score in the Gr.3 Round Tower Stakes at the Curragh on Friday and was swiftly followed by Viadera in the Gr.2 Ballston Spa Stakes the next day at Saratoga.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News 28th & 29th August 2021:

Sacred Bridge took her impressive record to four-from-four in emphatic fashion in the Gr.3 Round Tower Stakes. Coming into the six-furlong test off professional if less demonstrative displays in the five-furlong Listed Tipperary Stakes (30th June) and the valuable Ballyhane Stakes at this distance at Naas the homebred full sister to Viadera belied any fears that she had reached an early plateau by raising her game against the strongest opposition she had so far faced.

Always travelling strongly tracking Geocentric in second among the main group racing up the centre, the favourite strode to the front approaching the two-furlong pole. Staying on powerfully from there, the bay had upstaged that stablemate by three and three-quarter lengths at the line.

Shane Lyons commented: "She was very impressive. We'll freshen her up now and go for the [Gr.1] Cheveley Park [at Newmarket]."

Viadera went into the Gr.2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga as favourite. She broke sharply and settled into third as her stablemate Tamahere  set honest fractions of :22.60 and :47.55. The favourite was guided off the fence for clear sailing at the top of the lane and, with Kalifornia Queen making her move outside, it looked in upper stretch like Brown could very well run 1-2-3. Paint-scraping High Opinion had other ideas, but was bottled up a bit while trying to squeeze inside of Tamahere. Viadera continued to plug away in between horses, and just held off the fast-finishing High Opinion.

Winning rider Joel Rosario said: "Turning for home, I was clear. She always tries really hard. She's a very good filly... At the last minute, I knew the horse was coming inside [High Opinion], but she was so game and fighting going forward, so I was never worried about it, but that horse came very close."

Juddmonte's Garrett O'Rourke added: "I think last time she was coming off a long layoff and the pace didn't work out all that well. It was better here. She was sharper and I still thought the filly on the inside probably had momentum on us going to the line, but she just has a way of always getting her nose down on the line. She keeps winning photo finishes and everyone wants a horse with ability, but that competitive edge is fantastic as well."