Fahey eyeing Musidora starting point for Midnight Mile

Nick Robson
March 30, 2023 4:19 pm

Trainer looking to middle-distance prizes for Group Three winner.

Richard Fahey is targeting the Musidora Stakes at York’s Dante meeting in May as a starting point for his exciting filly Midnight Mile.

A debut winner at Doncaster last July, she was not seen again until winning the Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket in October.

That set her up for a trip to the Breeders’ Cup and an appearance in the Juvenile Fillies Turf but she lost all chance of winning with a tardy start.

It was to her immense credit that she came from last to finish fourth of 14 behind Meditate and Fahey is happy to skip the Guineas in favour of middle distances this summer. Given she is closely rated to both Yesterday and Quarter Moon, both second in the Oaks, she looks bred to stay in excess of a mile.

Unbeaten!
Midnight Mile (No Nay Never) strikes in an exciting finish to the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes, the 22/1 chance proving best for @OrrOisin and @RichardFahey at @NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/8C8FAhtceY

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 7, 2022

“I’m very pleased with her at the moment, she’s wintered very well and she’s going nicely,” said Fahey.

“I was a little bit frustrated at the Breeders’ Cup that she didn’t bounce and run and get the place we wanted her to be in, but that’s racing. It was only the third run of her life and she’s bred to be a better three-year-old. I was pleased we learned a bit more about her.

“I’m going to skip the Guineas and all that. I’m going to step her up to a mile and a quarter and start her off in something like the Musidora. I think I’d take her straight there, I just haven’t rushed her this year and let her mature, which she has done, and we’ll have a second-half of the season campaign.”

Barefoot Angel will run in a Guineas trial (Jeff Holmes/PA)

Another three-year-old filly in the yard who will head for a Guineas trial is Barefoot Angel, winner of the Group Three Firth of Clyde Stakes and an unlucky fourth in Redcar’s Two Year Old Trophy under a penalty.

“She was another who didn’t bounce and race that day at Redcar, but we’ll run her in a Guineas trial and see what happens,” said Fahey.

“She’s in both Guineas and we’ll play it by ear after her trial to see what we want to do. It will be Newmarket or Newbury for a trial.”

Fahey was on the mark at Royal Ascot last season with The Ridler, a 50-1 winner of the Norfolk Stakes but he disappointed on his only other run in France after that.

“The Ridler is good and he’ll start off in the Greenham and see where we go after that,” said Fahey.

“He just didn’t come back as I’d have liked after France but he’s done extremely well over the winter, so we’re still undecided whether he’s a sprinter or whether we can stretch him out.

“We lost our two Group One winners from last year (The Platinum Queen was sold and sent to Roger Varian and Perfect Power retired), so we have to find another one.

“We have a good batch of two-year-olds. so hopefully one of them can step up.”