Kingman filly Friendly Soul claims Prix de l'Opera victory
Ten Years on from the G1 Prix de l'Opera victory of her half-sister We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), George Strawbridge's Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}--In Clover {GB}, by Inchinor {GB}) stepped up to emulate her feat in ParisLongchamp's contest on Sunday.
Taken from Thoroughbred Daily News, 7th October 2024
Brought through the educative stepping stones of Ascot's G3 Valiant Stakes and Deauville=s G2 Prix Alec Head by John and Thady Gosden, the 9-1 shot tracked the early leader in second travelling sweetly. Committed by Kieran Shoemark two out, the 3-year-old responded generously to assert her superiority and comfortably contain the threat of her stablemate Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion) to win by 3/4 of a length. The G1 Prix de Diane heroine Sparkling Plenty (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) was the same margin away in third.
"Her owner-breeder came over from the United States to be at Deauville and we were there with Freddy Head, we sat down afterwards and Freddy instructed us to come to the Prix de l'Opera so it is entirely his idea," John Gosden said. "We were hoping to be good enough to come here, we didn't know if she'd handle the soft ground because the ground was quicker in Deauville but she did it very well." With the race offering an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Gosden was left to ponder the option for the filly who so spectacularly blew out when trialing for a potential Classic tilt in York's G3 Musidora Stakes in May. "It's one mile and three furlongs and I think Kieran felt that a mile and a quarter was very much the top end of her range. She's won over a mile, but running a mile and three around a bend in Del Mar is a bit like running around a bull ring, so anything is possible."
Pedigree Notes
Friendly Soul, who becomes the 12th top-level winner for Kingman who also accounted for the third-placed Sparkling Plenty, is one of seven stakes winners out of the G3 Prix de Flore-winning producer of note In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}). Along with the aforementioned trend-setter We Are, whose full-sister With You (GB) captured the G1 Prix Rothschild, she is also responsible for the stayer Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who took this meeting's G1 Prix du Cadran. Another is the Listed scorer Incahoots (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who in turn produced Frankel's Kelina (Ire) who triumphed on this card last year in the G1 Prix de la Foret. The G3 Prix de Royaumont-winning second dam Bellarida (Fr) (Bellypha {Ire}) is the ancestress of the G1 Hong Kong Vase hero Dominant (Ire) (Cacique {Ire}), the G1 Prix Jean Romanet winner Aristia (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Teppal (Fr) (Camacho {GB}). In Clover's foal is a full-brother to Friendly Soul.