Rhododendron completed a hard-fought win of the Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury this afternoon to perfectly display once more the iron will that exists in so many of the progeny of her sire Galileo.
It’s just over a year since the filly was pulled up while running in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly in France having bled from her nose and questions were raised about her future as an operator at the highest level.
She’s now, though, completed Group 1 victories age two, three and four but trainer Aidan O’Brien, when interviewed after the race, was characteristically keen to deflect praise for her recovery onto “everybody that’s very closely involved with her every day.”
The race was run to suit her, with stablemate Deauville, who loved the fast underfoot conditions, haring out in front and setting a nice tempo and Lancaster Bomber, another stablemate, in second. Ryan Moore found a nice perch for his mount in between those two familiar faces and got her a nice tow into the race.
As the race unfolded and Moore asked her a question she took off nicely, with only the onrushing Lightening Speak looking a danger under Oisin Murphy.
Moore’s horse was wanting to drift left and had to be coaxed back into a straight line to contest a punch up with the onrushing Lightening Speak up the Newbury straight.
It looked like Murphy would get up close home but Rhododendron showed that scarcely explainable will to win that runs in her bloodline to get up in a photo finish.
The finish will surely bring home memories for Murphy of his loss on Roaring Lion in last year’s Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, when another Galileo-related horse, Saxon Warrior, wore his would-be winner down with that insatiable need to get his noggin in front.
O’Brien said after the race that she'd be going to Royal Ascot next and hinted that he felt a step up in trip would be the natural course of action - she came back to a mile here having been racing over longer trips - and the Prince of Wales's Stakes the most seems the most ambitious of a few options she has open at the royal meeting.
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