FRANKIE’S ME DAD Gr1 Vinery Engagement Crucial for Gr1 ATC Oaks

24 Mar 23

Dynamic Syndications promising 3yo Filly FRANKIE’S ME DAD (FRANKEL x DADDY’S POPPET by Scat Daddy) trained by the team at CIARON MAHER Racing, has put the writing on the wall with her runs this preparation that she sticks like chewing gum to a blanket.

The further she goes the more she loves it and has connections living the dream that the 2400m of the ATC Oaks on April 8 may well be a realistic target.

FRANKIE’S ME DAD has raced 4 times in this preparation and has advanced her Career Summary to 4 Starts: 2-0-1.

She is the daughter of a World Champion Sire FRANKEL who is a son of the previous best Sire in the World - GALILEO.

So, trips at 2000m and above ideally suit this bloodline.

Her Dam was a 1200m winner but comes from a staying line female family that is saturated in overseas Black Type at 2400m including her own grand-dam VALIANT GIRL who was a Stakes Winner at 2200m in the USA.

VALIANT GIRL is a full sister to BRONZE CANNON who was a dual Gr2 Winner at 2400m and a half-sister to ACROSS THE STARS who was a Gr2 Winner at 2400m.

Whilst the Cross of FRANKEL over SCAT DADDY has only had 2 runners and has produced MARTEL - a 3yo Filly, Stakes Winner of the Prix de l'Avre over 2400m at Longchamp in France, whilst our filly is the second runner on this exact cross, and she has won out to 2300m to date.

MARTEL a French SW at 2400m by FRANKEL over a Scat Daddy mare

MARTEL (IRE) 2019 c, by Frankel - Lady of Shamrock, by Scat Daddy. 3 wins-2 at 2-from 1400m to 2400m, €78,250, to 2022, ParisLongchamp Prix de l'Avre, L, Saint-Cloud Prix Tanerko, 3d Chantilly Prix du Lys, Gr.3, Deauville Prix Michel Houyvet, L.

Frankie's Me Dad (AUS) 2019 f, by Frankel - Daddys Poppit, by Scat Daddy. 2 wins at 2100m, 2300m in 2022-23 in Aust.

After FRANKIE’S ME DAD had her debut race of 1460m that subsequently we needed to put a line through after nothing went her way from start to finish.

At her second start she went to Newcastle over 1850m and had flashing lights on her run that day as luck in running and lack of race experience cost her a chance at victory when third by 2.1 lengths.

The stable’s data resulted in them being adamant she should step up in trip again.

A race was on the programme at Newcastle on the Beaumont, being a Class 1 & Maiden 2100m Plate. However, we were concerned because she was only a two start Maiden, stepping up sharply to 2100m, only third-up in her career, also as a 3yo filly she was taking on older Males and Winners.

It did appear a significant task on paper for an inexperienced filly however the stable were confident and nobody had told our filly she couldn’t win.

1st Win at 2100m

Backed in from $3.10 to $2.25 supporters had little worry as she won in a canter, by 1.4 lengths eased down.

So then we had some soul searching to choose what we consider was going to give us the best option for Our Filly to make her way into gaining a run in the ATC OAKS.

Prizemoney and Benchmark points are as important as being aware of her pedigree and her genetics.

She want’s 2400m all day.

Next we found a race at Newcastle over 2300m back in the same grade a Class 1 & Maiden SW Plate. She was well placed here and a lovely ride from Brenton Avdulla resulted in her being strong through the line as an easy 1.2 lengths winner.

2nd Win at 2300m

The issue for us out of this race was there was no other staying races available for our 3yo filly and in fact, having won her previous two starts, there was no other race available anywhere other than coming back to 2000m and run in the Gr1 Vinery Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.

Brenton debriefs to Ciaron Maher at Newcastle after the win

Brenton Avdulla has been engaged to ride our filly again.

We are aware the 2000m will be too short now, as we are looking for the mile and a half, however one thing we know for sure is that we are the only horse in the race to have won beyond 2100m and one of just three to win beyond 2000m with only a handful of runners bred to stay. The high majority of runners are not bred to run beyond 1600.

Ratings prices mean little at this class, over this trip. Spring form seldom holds up to Autumn form, as class carries more in the Spring, but true stayer genetics come to the fore in the Autumn, now that they have had another six months mature.

This Vinery distance of 2000m should see our filly hitting the line nicely over the last 150m when most of this field will be waving a white flag. Whatever happens here in the Vinery is a bonus, as she is gets the final foundation platform ahead of the 2400m Oaks in a fortnight.

Our filly has done well to prove she is a real stayer. Her peers still have to prove they can get that far – most won’t.

We are delighted for her ownership team that they have already won 2 races from 4 starts, now it’s all about “living a dream.”

If the rain comes and the track downgrades our filly will be better suited yet again as it will feel more like 2200m than 2000m.

We will obviously know a lot more out of the run than prior to it, however we are confident we are presenting a high-quality staying filly with a Huge Pedigree into a race at a trip she will be comfortable with.