Doncaster winner Melodies
The excitement of Perla Blanca's win was not the end of the drama for the Ed Dunlop-yard at Doncaster, as it was a thrill to see the three-year-old Iffraaj filly Melodies get off the mark at the fifth time of asking shortly after. She was given a lovely patient ride by Fran Berry and was well on top at the line.
A home-bred by the Cliveden Stud, she is out of our dual winner Singersongwriter. She in turn was out of our Gr.2 (then) Sun Chariot Stakes and Gr.3 (then) Matron Stakes heroine Independence, who was closely related to Cliveden’s great Champion Reference Point, winner of the Derby in 1987. Independence has bolstered the line in no uncertain terms, becoming a broodmare of real significance. Her best foal is the 2008 Eclipse winner Mount Nelson, who has gone on to notable success as a dual-purpose sire, but she also produced the 2009 Great Voltigeur winner and St Leger third and sire Monitor Closely.
With such breeding and a close family connection to the yard, it is fair to say that it was important that Melodies broke her maiden tag! More to the point, however, she looks a smart prospect in her own right. She was a fine second to the subsequent Listed-winner Magnolia Springs last season, and as such it was reasonable to assume she was well-handicapped on a mark of 78. She had disappointed earlier in the season at Nottingham but she simply couldn’t handle the soft ground conditions that prevailed on that occasion.
Yesterday’s win demonstrated Melodies is firmly back on track, as she showed real tenacity and ability to fight a field of promising and in-form fillies. Hopefully it is onwards and upwards from here.
We must also congratulate Mr Freedman of the Cliveden Stud on his wonderful success with the Andrew Balding-trained Horseplay in the Gr.2 Lancashire Oaks recently. That talented filly is a daughter of the formerly Ed Dunlop-trained Listed winner Mischief Making, herself a daughter of the Ed Dunlop-trained Fraulein, who famously won the Gr.1 E P Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in 2002. It is wonderful to see these old families dovetailing and working to great effect in successive generations.