Queen aiming to uphold family Pride in Yorkshire Oaks

High hopes for Qatar Racing filly as she targets Group One gold at York.

Queen Of The Pride will look to emulate her illustrious parents by securing Group One success in the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks on Thursday.

The Qatar Racing homebred has plenty to live up to as a daughter of two top-level performers for Sheikh Fahad al Thani’s operation in Roaring Lion and Simple Verse.

Roaring Lion, who like Queen Of The Pride was trained by John Gosden, won four Group Ones during a memorable campaign in 2018, including a brilliant victory in the Juddmonte International at York.

Three years earlier, the Ralph Beckett-trained Simple Verse won twice in elite company, claiming Classic glory in the St Leger before following up on Champions Day at Ascot, and now her daughter gets the chance for a Group One breakthrough on the Knavesmire.

David Redvers, racing manager for Qatar Racing, said: “It’s everything we hope for in an organisation like this; to breed, raise and race horses at the highest level.

“This filly is the culmination of quite a few years’ work and it’s hugely exciting for all the team.”

Unraced at two, Queen Of The Pride rounded off her three-year-old season with a low-key win at Leicester and has taken her game to another level this term – finishing second on her Goodwood comeback before landing the Group Three Pinnacle Stakes and the Group Two Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

Redvers acknowledges she has even more on her plate at York, but feels she merits her chance, adding: “Now is the moment, so we will see.

“There’s no such thing as an easy Group One and this is a million miles from an easy Group One, but it’s great to have her in there with a proper fighting chance and the betting public have taken a view that she has as good a chance as anything else in the race.

“We’re looking forward to seeing her in action.”

Oisin Murphy and Queen Of The Pride after winning the Lancashire Oaks
Oisin Murphy and Queen Of The Pride after winning the Lancashire Oaks (Ian Hodgson/The Jockey Club)

Queen Of The Pride’s jockey Oisin Murphy said: “I was lucky enough to win on both her mother and her father and she’s a very important filly for Sheikh Fahad and Qatar Racing.

“She’s obviously stepping up in class again, but she’s been really good since Haydock and she deserves her chance in a Group One.

“I sat out the back that day (in the Lancashire Oaks) and we went around the bend very steadily, but she won well and has an upward profile.”

John and Thady Gosden will also saddle proven top-notcher Emily Upjohn, who needs to bounce back from a disappointing effort as a hot favourite for Goodwood’s Nassau Stakes three weeks ago.

The two leading three-year-olds in the race appear to be Beckett’s You Got To Me and Aidan O’Brien’s Content, who finished first and second in the Irish Oaks last month.

Of his runner, Beckett told Tattersalls: “She is very well, and we’ve been very happy with her recent work. She did a nice bit on the grass on Saturday just gone, that went as well or better than expected, so we think she might have come forward.

“I think York is set up really well for her as a track, the timescale is good as well. She is a filly who needs to be kept on the go, she’s not one that you can be hanging on to for targets later down the line, you have to keep rolling with her.

“I was concerned immediately after the Oaks that I wasn’t going to get her to put back on what she’d lost that quickly. As it turned out, I was wrong about that, you’ve just got to get your timings right.

“She’s on good terms with herself, that much is obvious.”

Sea Theme (left) winning at York last year
Sea Theme (left) winning at York last year (Mike Egerton/PA)

Content was supplemented having run two barnstormers in her last two Group Ones and Ryan Moore feels she is still improving.

He told Betfair: “It was a good run from her in the Pretty Polly when third to Bluestocking and Emily Upjohn and she stepped up on that when an unlucky second to You Got To Me in the Irish Oaks.

“She has progressed with every run and you can say the same about Queen Of The Pride, who has gone through the grades and steps into Group One company here for the first time. I think York will suit my filly though and I’m looking forward to her.”

Port Fairy (O’Brien), Mistral Star (Hughie Morrison), Lava Stream (David O’Meara) and Sea Theme (William Haggas) complete the field.

The latter won the Galtres Stakes over this course and distance 12 months ago and returns off the back of an impressive Listed success in France.

The four-year-old will be ridden by Tom Marquand, who said: “It was a busy day at home and so I didn’t ride her when she won in France, but I’ve ridden her in most of her other races, including when she won the Galtres over the Yorkshire Oaks course and distance a year ago and again on that horrendous day at Haydock when it was so slippy (sixth in Lancashire Oaks).

“She’s a lovely filly who has done well physically and looked great when I saw her the other morning. She’s going into deeper waters than ever before, but she’s definitely going in the right direction and is well worth her chance here.”

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