Bluestocking to stay in training after narrow Ascot defeat

Filly was beaten just a neck on Champions Day.

Bluestocking will be back again next year after a frustrating winless season ended with her finishing second in another Group One on Champions Day.

Ralph Beckett’s filly chased home Savethelastdance in the Irish Oaks and just failed to reel in Poptronic at Ascot on Saturday.

She was also placed in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot and finished fourth in the Yorkshire Oaks but failed to get her head in front even when dropped to Listed company at Chester in September.

Barry Mahon, racing manger for owners Juddmonte said: “She ran another cracker, she’s having a break for the winter but she’ll be back next year.

“The owners had said before Saturday that they would like to keep her in training.

“Rossa (Ryan) gave her a lovely ride on Saturday, I thought the winner would have come back to her a little more but in fairness to her, she kept going.”

Roger and Harry Charlton’s Time Lock ran in the same race but disappointed back in seventh.

“The ground was too testing for her,” said Mahon. “William (Buick) said he knew after a furlong she wasn’t in love with the ground, it was just too soft.”

Chaldean won the 2000 Guineas under Frankie Dettori
Chaldean won the 2000 Guineas under Frankie Dettori (David Davies/PA)

Unfortunately similar comments applied to 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, he ended up being beaten 49 lengths.

“Frankie (Dettori) said he travelled great for five or six furlongs but then, having been off the track for a while, that ground found him out,” added Mahon.

“He couldn’t quicken off that really deep ground so he looked after him. We haven’t fully decided if he’s coming back next year or not.”

Next year promises to be another good one for Juddmonte either way, with the Middle Park runner up Task Force and Skellet, a narrow runner-up in the Oh So Sharp likely to take high order.

But Mahon also said it was too early to rule out Mill Reef winner Array from being a leading player despite him disappointing in the Dewhurst, for which he was supplemented.

“The horse we ran in the Dewhurst is a very nice horse but he came out of the that with an injury, so we didn’t see his true running there. I think he’ll be a nice horse next year, it’s not serious but enough to cause a below-par effort,” said Mahon.

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