New TDN 'Rising Star' for Frankel

Frankel two-year-old Bedtime Story made a winning debut yesterday at Leopardstown with a powerful drive up the home straight, winning by a length and quarter.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 7th June 2024, by Tom Frary:

The seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden staged on Leopardstown's Thursday evening card has often played host to a future luminary and the latest renewal could have thrown up another as Ballydoyle's Bedtime Story (Frankel) earned instant TDN Rising Star status.

Settled in mid-division early by Wayne Lordan, the 5-1 shot enjoyed an untroubled run down the outer in the straight as the stable's 8-11 favourite Giselle (also by Frankel) became ensnared in traffic deeper towards the rail. Surging ahead from 150 yards out, the grey asserted to score by a length and a quarter from that promising daughter of Newspaperofrecord to lead home a one-two for the sire who now boasts 39 TDN Rising Stars. The Adrian Murray-trained Queens Fury was a further half-length away in third in the maiden won in 2019 by Cayenne Pepper, when Ballydoyle's Love was fourth, in 2017 by the stable's September and in which Discoveries was fourth in 2021 and Minding ran second in 2015.

"She's a lovely filly and had been working nicely," commented Lordan, who partnered the Bedtime Story's Gr.3 Staffordstown Stud Stud-winning half-sister Content to be third in this 12 months ago. He added: "She came home well when she hit the rising ground and is very similar to Content, has the same quality and ability but covers more ground than her. Ryan's is quite a nice filly too and probably didn't get the clearest run like me. It rode like a nice maiden and a mile will be a perfect option for her."

Aidan O'Brien's representative Chris Armstrong added: "They are two lovely fillies going forward. There wasn't much between them at home and it was a tough choice for Ryan. Both fillies were quite green through the race and Wayne's filly probably got an easier run at it. Before the race, they were both in the mix for the [Listed] Chesham [at Royal Ascot] and you can't really take much away from Ryan's filly. We'll see how they come through it and at the moment they are both in the mix. Wayne said when she steps up in trip again, she will be a fine filly for the backend. She has plenty of class and has an unbelievable pedigree."