See The Fire won the Sky Bet Strensall Stakes at York - report and free video replay
By Sporting Life
14:45 · SAT August 24, 2024
See The Fire threaded her way through the field to win the Sky Bet Strensall Stakes at York on the final day of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.
Andrew Balding's three-year-old filly only had one rival behind her at halfway in the nine furlong Group Three and a host of horses in front of her in the straight as the field stayed close to the inside rail.
Oisin Murphy didn't panic and weaved through their rivals, ending up scraping the paint against the rail, and See The Fire showed an impressive turn of foot to reel in a back-to-form Checkandchallenge and Phantom Flight to win a shade cosily by one and three quarter lengths and a short-head.
See The Fire's last five starts had come in Group One company and she had twice made the frame, finishing third in the Fillies' Mile as a juvenile and was only beaten a neck in the Nassau Stakes by Opera Singer last time as well as taking fourth in the Eclipse behind City Of Troy but punters weren't wholly convinced as she was allowed to go off the 3/1 favourite.
Phantom Flight was second at 7/1 with Checkandchallenge returned at 33s.
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Murphy said: " She was brilliant in the Nassau the last day and her work since has been great, she's been working with older horses that are in good form and finding it very easy.
"I wasn't going to sit three wide on her, I wanted to get cover and maybe have horses to fill up onto the back of before finding space. Arguably I was fortunate it opened up on the inside but I thought I could get onto Task Force's back even if it didn't open up and I was hoping that the fact we didn't go very fast we might get going earlyish in the straight and I felt that's what happened.
"It wasn't a really strong pace I didn't think but we got racing from early in the straight."
When asked if See The Fire can be expected to hold her own back at the top level, he replied: "I hope so. She was very good at the line with her ears pricked and she quickened past good yardsticks."
Balding added: “We’ve always thought the world of this filly. She’s beautiful to look at, she’s always worked well and I’ve just got to thank David Elsworth for retiring when he did because I’ve reaped the rewards of having the mare’s progeny!
“David did fabulously well with the family and she (Arabian Queen) is an amazing broodmare.
“I’m delighted for Jeff (Smith) and David (Bowe) and everyone at Littleton because these owner-breeders are so important and to get this calibre of horse is special.”
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