3 minute read
There were scenes of jubilation on the Rowley Mile when Matilda Picotte provided her trainer Kieran Cotter, with the biggest success in his career to date by claiming Group 2 honours in the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes at Newmarket.
Having tasted Listed glory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF "Bosra Sham" Fillies' Stakes at the track last October and finishing third in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas back at the course earlier this year, the daughter of Sioux Nation continued her love affair with the Rowley Mile in today's Group 2 prize.
The Group 2 seven-furlong prize changed complexion at an early stage with both Pogo and Shouldvebeenaring withdrawn due to the overnight rain.
However, conditions were no bother for Matilda Picotte, who made her intentions clear from the outset by adopting her customary position at the head of affairs following a swift exit from the stalls.
There looked to be bundles of early pace on paper but with Pogo not taking his place in the field and only four going to post, that opened the door for confirmed front-runner Matilda Picotte to play catch me if you can.
Rab Havlin steered his mount Audience towards the far side rail from an early stage, but it soon became clear he didn't have the pace to lay up with Matilda Picotte, who readily established a clear advantage down the centre of the track under the hands of Oisin Murphy.
The trio attempted to bridge the gap, but as hard as they may try, they could never quite get on terms with the speedy front-runner, who still had two-and-three-quarter lengths to spare over her nearest pursuer crossing the line.
Fellow Irish raider Lord Massusus stayed on well to fill the runner-up spot, with Audience back in third and the 7/4 favourite Chindit trailing home a well-beaten last of the four.
Kieran Cotter said: "I was a little bit concerned in the last 100 yards or so that something might come and get her, but I'm absolutely delighted. She is a Group 1 winner in waiting and her last couple of runs have been outstanding.
"People have been telling us all year she should be sprinting, but she can maintain that pace over seven furlongs and you have two choices. You either go with her, and she will burn you off, or you try and keep tabs on her as best you can. She does the damage early on in the race.
"I said to lads you won't see the best of her until the back end of three and she is just coming to fruition now. She never looked like a two-year-old as she was too rangy, but she still managed to win a Bosra Sham here and a maiden.
"She has just got better and better, and maybe we've got a handle on her style of running better. Oisin said she was aggressive early, but you can't fight her, and you have to let her roll. She is incredibly tough.
"She absolutely loves it here. Fair play to Declan McDonogh, and I will always thank him for this, as he won the Bosra Sham on her and he got off her and he said this racecourse was designed for her with the downhill run into the bushes and the way she can quicken up out of it [the dip].
"We wouldn't have 20 horses, but we are showing if we have the right one, we can turn up on the day. It is fantastic today that we have come to a racecourse like this and competed. We are privileged to have her.
"She is a horse of a lifetime. Without a doubt this is my biggest winner, but it is hard to get horses when you have a small yard. Hopefully, we can some attract some better-class horses.
"I picked her out. There were two horses in a field, and I wanted the other one, who was her half-sister and she turned out to be a Group Three winner called Ocean Quest for Jessica Harrington."
While a trip to the Breeders' Cup has not been ruled out by Cotter, he is excited about what next season holds for Matilda Picotte, provided her connections decide to keep her.
He concluded: "There is the Breeders' Cup, but who knows we will go home and have a think about it. There are a lot of races for her next year, if we have her, but the lads said if she won well today, we might keep her [as opposed to selling her]."
