Syndicate living the dream with Lakota Sioux

East Yorkshire-based owners looking forward to big days ahead.

Lakota Sioux has made Group dreams a reality for Yorkshire-based syndicate Gallop Racing.

The Sioux Nation filly was purchased at Tattersalls for GBP 15,000 and has certainly looked a sound investment so far, placing third on her debut before running away with a fillies’ maiden at Lingfield in May when triumphing by six and a half lengths.

Her next outing was the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, where she started at 33-1 under James Doyle and came home in third place behind Karl Burke’s Holloway Bay.

Another step up followed in the Group Three Sweet Solera at Newmarket, where the Mark and Charlie Johnston-trained filly was victorious by three-quarters of a length to give the stable a fifth success in the race.

The two-year-old now has a handful of options for her next outing, with the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh currently favoured by connections.

“She’s in the Moyglare at the Curragh over seven (furlongs), the Rockfel and the Marcel Boussac on Arc day,” said Richard Walker of owners Gallop Racing.

“I think the Moyglare is the plan, but we’ve got the Rockfel as a back up.

“She’s quirky but she’s very talented, we were absolutely chuffed to bits as we’ve only had good handicappers in the past. To get one into Listed and then Group class is just fantastic.”

Walker felt Lakota Sioux deserved great credit for her Ascot run as she recovered from a steady start and plainly held her own as the only filly in a field of 13.

“We were the only ones who really took on the colts that day so I think you can really mark her up,” he said.

“Things didn’t really go to plan either, she was a bit tardy from the gates and she met a little bit of trouble in running.

“It was the first time she’d ever been out in traffic really, she’d always led in races before that and everything was new to her, so to finish like that was encouraging.

“She could be marked up that day and then she won at Newmarket in the Sweet Solera.”

Lakota Sioux has caught the eye not only with her ability, but also her distinctive habit of constantly swishing her tail behind her as she runs.

The trait is sometimes regarded as a sign of a less than genuine temperament, but connections have never felt that way about their filly and view the habit as just a quirk of her personality.

“A few people have said maybe she’s disingenuous or she must have an issue, but Mark Johnston helped with breaking her in and said she’s just done it from day one,” said Walker.

“It’s just part of her, it’s like Paula Radcliffe had the head bob when she was running and Michael Johnson had the upright style – she’s got the tail swish and it’s just in her nature. It’s more alpha-female than anything else.

“I went up the canter at the Johnston’s and there she was, tail going, and Charlie said ‘look, it’s Lakota coming’ and I said ‘you didn’t need to tell me that!’.”

Gallop Racing, based in Goole, East Yorkshire, is a syndicate of eight, all of whom met via the sport and hope that their journey with Lakota Sioux is just beginning as the juvenile holds a great deal of promise for the remainder of this season and beyond.

“There’s about eight, they’re all people who have been involved with other horses for us so it’s really nice and they know each other,” Walker explained.

“They’ve all been to the races together plenty of times, it’s good that they’re enjoying days out like that, having a winner at Newmarket in a Group race.

“When you get involved in a two-year-old, the average one in training has a rating of 65 so you’re blessed if you get a good one.

“We try to have fun, come what may, that’s the sort of people we want to be – good winners and good losers.”

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