Rhododendron Draws Off in Fillies' Mile

Trainer Aidan O'Brien continue his raid on Newmarket's group I races, enjoying a 1-2 finish in the Dubai Fillies' Mile Oct. 7 as Rhododendron led in Hydrangea by a clear margin. Both fillies are now under consideration for next month's Breeders' Cup.

Rhododendron bested Hydrangea, both daughters of top international sire Galileo, by 2 1/4 lengths and finished the trip for 2-year-olds in 1:37.73 on firm turf. Urban Fox ralied to finish third at 40-1, six lengths behind Hydrangea.

 

Following her maiden-breaking win in July at Goodwood, Rhododendron immediately stepped up to group competition and defeated her stablemate by a head in the Debutante Stakes (Ire-II) Aug. 21 at the Curragh, but in a form reversal was subsequently was third behind Hydrangea when that filly was runner-up to Intricately in the Sept. 11 Moyglare Stud Stakes (Ire-I). 

True to form, the pair was at the head of affairs Friday, when co-5-2 favorite Rhododendron came from off the pace and rallied past Hydrangea to lead inside the final quarter mile. 

Ridden by Ryan Moore, Rhododendron improved her record to 3-1-1 from five career starts. 

Co-favorite Sobetsu, a 10-length winner at Newmarket last month, lacked the necessary finishing kick under William Buick and finished fifth.

O'Brien said he believed Rhododendron, who like Hydrangea is raced by Coolmore and associates Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, was a bit better filly than Hydrangea, so the result of the seven-furlong Moyglare Stud was a bit of a head-scratcher.

"It just goes to show the Moyglare was a very good race," he said. "We thought she would like to go up to a mile, which she did today.

The Fillies' Mile marks the third group I win at Newmarket for O'Brien recently after taking the Sept. 24 Cheveley Park with Brave Anna and Oct. 1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot with Alice Springs, and follows his remarkable 1-2-3 sweep of the top three spots in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) Oct. 2, all by offspring of Coolmore resident sire Galileo.

Galileo got the Fillies’ Mile winner for the third straight year following victories by Minding in 2015 and Together Forever the previous year, both trained by O'Brien for Coolmore and partners.

"They're two very high-class fillies and we knew they were progressing," he said of Rhododendron and Hydrangea. "That might be it for the year, but the lads will talk about that and see what they want to do. Both fillies are in a good place at the moment, so it (Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park) is an option if the lads want to do that."

Rhododendron was bred in Ireland by Orpendale, Chelston, and Wynatt, a breeding entity associated with Coolmore. Her dam is Halfway To Heaven, a daughter of Pivotal who posted group I victories in the 2008 Irish One Thousand Guineas, Nassau Stakes, and Sun Chariot. She also has produced a full brother in group III winner and young stallion Flying the Flag. The mare's group III-winning half sister Theann is the dam of 2015 Rodeo Drive Stakes (gr. IT) victress Photo Call, also by Galileo.

Hydrangea also is out of a Pivotal mare, Beauty Is Truth, a multiple French group winner who also produced Austalian group-I-winning full brother The United States and Dansili half sister Fire Lily, a mutliple group III winner in Ireland and group I-placed in France.