Godolphin's Secret is out as the stable dominate Rosehill features

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

Sheikh Mohammed’s operation got their day off to the best possible start as homebred, Golden Mile, dominated proceedings in the G3 Ming Dynasty Quality, before his stablemate In Secret provided the stable with a quickfire double with her victory in the G2 Run To The Rose.

History was against In Secret prior to Saturday’s race, with a total of 20 fillies having tried and failed to win the G2 Run To The Rose since the race's inception in 2003.

A few had come close, with Charmview (Royal Academy {USA}) and Maybe I (Red Ransom {USA}) producing the best results when running second in 2003 and 2008 respectively and on Saturday In Secret was joined by G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Fireburn (Rebel Dane) who was also attempting to break the hoodoo.

However, while the fillies’ record in the race may have been uninspiring, one thing that was in In Secret’s favour was the fact she was running for a stable with a dominant past history in the race.

Going into Saturday’s race, Godolphin / Darley had won the contest a total of six times, with Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) last year, Bivouac (2020), Astern (2016), Exosphere (2015), Hallowed Crown (2014) and Denman (2009).

However, despite Godolphin’s record in the contest, going into the race the top-class juvenile Fireburn, was many people’s idea of the winner. But it was the lesser experienced In Secret, who proved superior, showing her rivals a clean pair of heels to come away with an easy 1.7l victory and become the first filly to triumph in the Group 2.

In Secret - a daughter of dual Group 3 winner Eloping (Choisir) - was a rare yearling purchase for Godolphin Australia, with the powerhouse operation picking her up for $900,000 at the 2021 edition of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Segenhoe draft.

Since that shopping trip, the daughter I Am Invincible has done little to make them regret the purchase, having won both of her starts as a juvenile, including the Listed Woodland S. at Scone. However, the filly tasted her first dose of defeat on her first start as a 3-year-old, when she hit traffic in running in the G2 Silver Shadow S., but still managed to finish second, a mere 1.2l off the winner. The filly then accepted for the G2 Furious S. last weekend, but connections decided to scratch after she drew wide on a Heavy track.

Table: Fillies' record in the G2 Run To The Rose

More to come

In hindsight, after Saturday’s victory, that decision now looks like an inspired one, as In Secret showed a field brimming with quality and depth her talent and Godolphin Australia's Managing Director, Vin Cox told TDN AusNZ after the race he was delighted to see In Secret come of age in the Group 2, especially against a top-class field.

“It was an emphatic victory and for her to become the first filly to win it, in what we, the Godolphin team, considered a very strong field which included the leading 2-year-olds from last season, is obviously very satisfying and we were absolutely thrilled with the result,” said Cox.

“We did scratch her out of last week’s race because she was drawn wide and it was a bog track, we just didn’t want to risk her. We really see her as a filly of extreme potential and we want to protect her record and build her profile.

“She is by I Am Invincible out of Eloping and she is out of a very good racemare. She was a very athletic type of filly, who wasn’t robust or heavy and still isn’t heavy, and she had a lot of presence about her and fortunately she has taken that to the next stage of her career on the track.”

Cox said an exciting aspect about the filly was that she is by no means the finished object and is expecting her to improve again.

“She still has a lot of maturing to do. Only, three weeks ago, James said to me, ‘She’s still foaly around her head and she still has to mature up’,” he said.

“Her coat is still woolly, even at this time of year and all those signs will tell you that there is still a lot of improvement to come from her, which is a bit scary.”

Godolphin not only have a good record in the G2 Run To The Rose, but they also have a knack of going on to land the G1 Golden Rose S., having taken out the double with Denman, Hallowed Crown, Exosphere, Astern and Bivouac in the past.

Cox said the plan was to head to the Group 1 on September 24 and she will attempt to become the seventh horse, and sixth owned by Godolphin, to land the famous double, with 2005 winner, Paratroopers (Commands), also completing the feat.

The 3-year-old will also be out to become only the fifth filly to win the G1 Golden Rose S., since 1978 and first since Forensics' (Flying Spur) victory in 2008, but and incidentally, that filly, like In Secret, was also raced by Sheikh Mohammed. However, the race only gained elite level status in 2009, so she would become the first female to win it as a Group 1.

“We will definitely look at the Golden Rose with her, which obviously carries Group 1 status, and if a filly like her can win a Group 1 it will be a great thing to have on her resume and particularly against the boys, if she did happen to win it. At the moment that is where we are headed,” he continued.

Mouth-watering clash

If the filly takes her shot at the Group 1, she will most likely clash with her stablemate Golden Mile, who earned his tilt at the race with his Group 3 win on Saturday.

Last seen running second in the G3 Up And Coming S., Golden Mile has come a long way in a short space of time and Saturday’s win came at his third career start and Cox said they had always thought a lot of the colt.

“With that being only his third start, Golden Mile was very impressive today (Saturday),” said Cox. “He is a horse we have always had a very high opinion of and for him to vindicate that opinion in the emphatic fashion that he did is particularly rewarding for our team.”

When the colt lines up in the G1 Golden Rose in two weeks' time, he will be attempting to emulate his sire Astern, who landed the race in 2016.

Now standing at Darley's Kelvinside base, the son of Medaglia D’Oro’s (USA) oldest crop are 4-year-olds and after only sending him five of their own mares in his first year, Godolphin changed tack and supported him with 12 mares in his second year in the covering shed, including with Golden Mile’s Listed-winning dam Calaverite (Lonhro).

Cox said he was pleased to see their faith in the stallion vindicated and was looking forward to seeing what he can do in the G1 Golden Rose S.

“We are excited to take him towards the Golden Rose and for his sire, who won the race himself, is great. It is the first year we actually supported the stallion with our own broodmare band and we are happy and pleased to see the results we have got from those,” said Cox.

It could very well be a big spring for Astern, with Golden Mile already showing his worth, but his other 3-year-old son Aft Cabin, who was last seen running second in the G3 HDF McNeil S., will attempt to enhance his G1 Caulfield Guineas credentials in the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude next weekend.

“Astern has Golden Mile and Aft Cabin, who is well up in the market for the Caulfield Guineas and runs next week in the Guineas Prelude. It is again rewarding to see these sorts of results, which just backs up what we are trying to achieve,” said Cox.

Multiple Group 1 winner Anamoe - who added a top-flight win to his record at four with a victory in the G1 Winx S. - is obviously the headline act among the Godolphin contingent and while it has been a good start for the boys in blue this season, Cox was quick to temper the excitement surrounding the stable.

“As we all know, this is a really tough business and you can get a lot of kicks in the guts and it doesn't matter how big and small you are, it’s a hard business,” he said.

“When you’re having a good run, and we are having a good run at the moment, we also have in the back of our minds that our turn will come when we are not as successful. We enjoy our success while it’s happening and hope that it can continue right through the spring.”