Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Stakes |
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| Group 2, York 15:13 £160,500 guaranteed, Fillies, 4yo plus, 1m 2f 56y, Class 1  |
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1 See The Fire 8/11F
2
Beautiful Love 12/1
3
Royal Dress 14/1
8 ran Distances: 12l, nk, 1¼l
Time: 2m 9.44s (slow by 1.14s)
BOLTED UP. ⚡️
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 15, 2025
See The Fire blazed a trail up the Knavesmire to win the Oakmere Homes Hambleton Handicap 🥇#ITVRacing | @yorkracecourse | @oismurphy | @AndrewBalding2 pic.twitter.com/wanieGCp1b
York’s Knavesmire sizzled as See The Fire unleashed a blistering display to win in emphatic fashion. Andrew Balding’s chestnut, sent off the sweet-on 8-11 favourite under Oisin Murphy, was held up from stall four before Murphy gradually peeled through the pack in the home straight.
As rivals wilted under pressure, the four-year-old bounded clear, her advantage ballooning to an astonishing 12 lengths by the post, with Godolphin’s stubborn Beautiful Love doing her best to salvage second.
Balding, ever the pragmatist, was suitably thrilled:
“That was smashing. We’ve always rated her highly, and you can see she’s come on since last season. We perhaps left stepping up in trip a bit late last year, and she didn’t have her A-game in the Eclipse—but thereafter she was rusty no more, winning the Strensall and running very well at Champions Day despite a heavy campaign. Her comeback at Sandown wasn’t ideal, but that run sharpened her up perfectly for today.”
There’s a rich bit of symmetry here: a decade ago See The Fire’s dam, Arabian Queen, shocked the Juddmonte International at York at 50-1, downing Golden Horn in the process. Could daughter follow in those fabled hoofprints? Balding certainly has plans:
“We’ve always fancied the Nassau for her—she was runner-up last year—and if that goes to plan, a return to York in August for the Juddmonte International would be very tempting. A crack at a Goodwood Group One beforehand is also on the radar.”
Runner-up Beautiful Love more than held her own, Charlie Appleby reflected:
“The winner’s a different calibre today—William Buick gave her a peach of a ride, and the rest of us paid the price for staying in. Our filly clearly wants a mile and a half; she’s still carrying last year’s penalty, so we’ll look for a suitable target—and hope we avoid See The Fire next time!”
Summer at York just got that bit hotter—and it’s only May.
Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Stakes (Fillies' Group 2)
£160,500 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 2f 56y, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places
NO. (DRAW) FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 (2) 476-21 Ambiente Amigo 4 9-2 James Owen Harry Davies
2 (6) 134-63 Beautiful Love 4 9-2 Charlie Appleby William Buick
3 (7) 25210- Doha 5 9-2 Ralph Beckett Hector Crouch
4 (8) 2299-2 Karmology 5 9-2 K R Burke Sam James
5 (3) 13431- Nakheel 4 9-2 Owen Burrows Jim Crowley
6 (5) 13813- Royal Dress 5 9-2 James Tate Ben Coen
7 (4) 2135-5 See The Fire 4 9-2 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy
8 (1) 10111- Sioux Life 4 9-2 Marco Botti David Egan
