3 minute read

Time Scale prevails in Empress Fillies’ Stakes

The Ralph Beckett-trained Time Scale (2 f ex An Ghalanta by Holy Roman Emperor) landed the Empress Fillies’ Stakes (Listed, 6f) at Newmarket and in the process handed Windsor Park shuttler Charm Spirit (Invincible Spirit) with his eighth stakes winner. 

Raced by Qatar Racing, the filly came into the race having broken her maiden at Chepstow on June 15 and she built on that performance when she scored a comprehensive three and three quarter lengths Concessions (Muhaarar), while Undertake (Kodiac) was a further two and a half lengths further back in third.

“If you look back at her debut you will see Oisin [Murphy, jockey] got clobbered a couple of times in running.

“We ran her that early hoping we could get to Royal Ascot, but it was not to be. We probably could have gone to Ascot, but we decided to go this route instead and take in the race at Chepstow where she got all the bonuses for winning.

“She is a tough filly that will take plenty of racing and she will run whenever we can. We will not be hanging around with her.

“She will have an entry in the Robert Papin. There is also the Princess Margaret at Ascot and it is just as likely that she could go there. Hopefully we can then look at the Lowther and Cheveley Park later on in the season.”

Bred by The An Ghalanta Partnership, the filly is out of Curragh Stakes (Listed, 5f) winner An Ghalanta (Holy Roman Emperor), who was purchased by David Redvers for €140,000 at the 2012 Goffs Ireland November Breeding Stock Sale. 

An Ghalanta also produced Group 2-placed Bletchley (Makfi) and this is the same family as Group 2 winner Light Heavy (Teofilo) and Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) winner Parish Hall (Teofilo).  

Charm Spirit is the sire of four stakes winners in the southern hemisphere and he will return to New Zealand in 2020 on a FOA basis.