Scene set for Breeders’ Cup bid

Molly Hunter
October 24, 2021 4:15 pm

Ferguson filly goes for Juvenile Fillies Turf.

James Ferguson’s Mise En Scene will head to the Juvenile Fillies Turf at next month’s Breeders’ Cup meeting at Del Mar.

The two-year-old was last seen finishing fourth on her Group One debut in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket two weeks ago, a race in which she was beaten three lengths by John and Thady Gosden’s Inspiral.

The nine runners in the race split into two groups, and Mise En Scene was not afforded a clear passage, leaving her to make a late run to pass several horses in the final furlong.

👏 Fine ride @oismurphy as Mise En Scene remains unbeaten
🏇 Two races🥇 Two wins🏆 G3 Prestige Stakes ⭐️ Lovely prospect
A big winner for @jamesferguson89 as Mise En Scene stays on strongly to score at @Goodwood_Races @Qatar_Racing pic.twitter.com/MGB4huUfKj

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 28, 2021

“She ran very well – she just ran into a bit of bad luck, and in racing you need a lot of luck, and it didn’t go her way,” said Ferguson.

“She lost nothing in defeat. I think anyone who saw it would have known that she had the ability to finish closer in a race like that. I personally think she’s a filly with a lot of class – and I can’t wait to see what she does next year.”

The Newmarket run was preceded by a Group Three victory in the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood, before which Mise En Scene was a four-length winner on her debut at Haydock in July.

The Qatar Racing-owned bay will head Stateside for the Breeders’ Cup, where she will race over a mile again.

“It’s been half-planned since she won at Goodwood,” added Ferguson.

“His Highness Sheikh Fahad has always been a big supporter of the Breeders’ Cup, and loves going out there.

“It was all dependent on how she was going to come out of the Fillies’ Mile, and she’s come out of the race great – (so) we’re very much looking forward to going over.

“She’s still very lightly raced, so she’ll be a fresh horse, whereas a lot of horses in the race will have had a heavy season.

“To have a runner at the Breeders’ Cup in only my second year training is huge.”

This campaign has been highly successful for Ferguson, who enjoyed his first Group One strike on Saturday when El Bodegon claimed the Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

“Credit goes to the team back home – they all work incredibly hard, and we’re blessed to have owners that have supported us,” he said.

“Qatar Racing have supported us, and they supported us in our first year – that’s huge.

“My father (John), being the experienced agent that he is, bought the horse (El Bodegon) at Tattersalls Book Two last year. There are a lot of factors that have contributed to it, and luckily it’s all going very well at the moment.”