Breeders' Cup banker? Tamara bids to emulate illustrious dam Beholder with victory in Juvenile Fillies

Tamara is many people’s idea of the Breeders’ Cup day one banker when bidding to emulate her dam Beholder by signing off her two-year-old campaign with victory in the Juvenile Fillies (9.40).

Trainer Richard Mandella enjoyed three Breeders’ Cup wins with Beholder, including when defeating Songbird by a nose in an epic Distaff on her final start in 2016, and Tamara looks a special prospect for the stable on the back of her wide-margin Grade 1 win last time.

Tamara breezed to a six-and-three-quarter-length success in the Del Mar Debutante in September, leading to her being the shortest-priced Grade 1 favourite on the Friday card.

“We had high hopes for Tamara but she’s exceeded those each time she’s run,” Mandella told BloodHorse. “She’s ahead of Beholder at this stage because Beholder had some quirks about her mentally.

“You try not to get yourself too excited until they show it to you, and she's done a good job of that.”

Tamara is drawn in stall seven – “a good place to be” according to Mandella – while fellow Grade 1 winner Candied is in stall one and Just F Y I, who recorded the same Racing Post Rating of 111 as Tamara when winning the Frizette Stakes at Belmont, is drawn in stall 12.

Just F Y I's trainer Bill Mott told Daily Racing Form: “She’s a big, strong filly, a good mover and there’s a lot to like about her. She was still going strong passing the wire at Belmont, and while she’s not experienced around two turns, she’s capable of handling it.”

Brad Cox (centre): runs Timberlake in the JuvenileCredit: Sarah Stier

The Juvenile (11.00) is a particularly open race and Brad Cox is hopeful Timberlake will be a leading player.

Florent Geroux’s mount won the Champagne Stakes at Belmont by four and a quarter lengths last time and steps up in trip to 1m½f.

Cox, who won the race with Essential Quality in 2020, said: “I love this colt, he’s an exciting prospect and he’s been working well. There’s a lot of stamina in his pedigree for this trip and he’s set up for a big run.”

Timberlake’s rivals include Breeders’ Futurity one-two Locked and The Wine Steward, American Pharoah one-two Muth and Wine Me Up and Del Mar Futurity scorer Prince Of Monaco. Adrian Murray runs Amo Racing outsider Cuban Thunder.

Before the Juvenile Turf Sprint kicks off the top-level action, Oisin Murphy and Saeed bin Suroor bid for a Listed victory with White Moonlight in the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes (7.40).

The six-year-old mare has been successful on her two starts at this level, winning at Musselburgh in June and Chelmsford the following month, and was seventh in the Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes on soft ground at Glorious Goodwood when last in action in August.

Read more Breeders' Cup preview:

Big Evs has 'really good chance' in clash of three Royal Ascot winners in Juvenile Turf Sprint 

Carla's Way and Porta Fortuna give Britain and Ireland excellent claims in Juvenile Fillies Turf 

'I’m expecting him to put up his best performance' - Ryan Moore confident of big show from River Tiber in Juvenile Turf 

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