Frankel fillies out of multi-garlanded racemares fight out finish to Leopardstown maiden

Two multi-garlanded racemares' progeny fought out the finish to the opening, often informative, Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown on Thursday.

Of the debuting two-year-olds, both by Frankel and trained by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore partners, it was Mecca's Angel's daughter Bedtime Story who got the better of Giselle, the first produce of Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord. The winning margin was a length and a quarter.

Jockey bookings and the market had suggested connections might have been thinking it would end the other way round, with the Wayne Lordan-ridden Bedtime Story going off at 5-1 and the Ryan Moore-partnered Giselle made 8-11 favourite.

The winner is the fifth foal out of the dual Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Mecca's Angel, a daughter of Dark Angel who sold privately to Coolmore after her racing career. 

Bedtime Story is, therefore, a close relation to last year's Group 3 Staffordstown Stud Stakes winner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf fourth Grade 1 Content, as well as the winning Hudson River, both by Galileo. 

Giselle before her debut second at LeopardstownCredit: Patrick McCann

Giselle, sporting Peter Brant's colours, is the first foal out of Lope De Vega's dual top-flight winner Newspaperofrecord. 

Another sold privately to Coolmore after a top-notch career, the eight-year-old is a half-sister to the Listed-winning Classical Time and out of the Group 3-winning Sunday Times, a Holy Roman Emperor half-sister to the stakes-placed Question Times, dam of Irish Derby winner Latrobe and Oaks second Pink Dogwood. 

The race has in the recent past been won by subsequent Group 2 Blandford Stakes winner and Irish Oaks second Cayenne Pepper (2019), Listed Chesham Stakes scorer and Group 1 Fillies' Mile second September (2017), and slightly further back the Group 1 Irish Oaks and Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes victress Bracelet (2013). 

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