Royal Ascot: spectacular Bedtime Story pulverises Chesham rivals

shot to the head of ante-post lists for next year’s 1000 Guineas following a scintillating display in the Chesham Stakes on the final day at .

A winner as an apparent second string for Aidan O’Brien at Leopardstown little over a fortnight ago, the daughter of Frankel and top-class sprinting mare Mecca’s Angel was a well-supported 11-8 favourite to double her tally.

Always travelling well in the slipstream of the keen-going pacesetter Motawahij, left her rivals standing once given her head by Ryan Moore, accelerating an astonishing nine and a half lengths clear of her toiling rivals, with pipping to the runner-up spot.

O’Brien said: “We never let go before. This was the first time she was asked to stretch. Ryan said he couldn’t believe it; he said everyone fell away, he said ‘go on’, and she just took off. He didn’t even give her a slap down the shoulder.

“We thought she was probably a Group One filly, but we hadn’t looked – thinking is one thing and seeing is another, so everyone saw it together today. It was the first time she was ever dropped down, really.”

Asked how she compares to Fairy Godmother, O’Brien said: “They haven’t ever worked together. We treated her gently. She’s got an unbelievable pedigree, she’s a homebred. She’s very special, isn’t she?

“The lads are great and they never put anyone under pressure, so we didn’t have to look. We felt she had done enough to come here for her second run, and it’s a lovely way to be.

Asked how they will keep Bedtime Story and apart, O’Brien said: “There are plenty of races for them all I think. Bedtime Story will be staying at seven furlongs.

“It is unusual on fast ground to do that [win by so far]. She was very impressive when she won first time. We had another filly in it and she got banged off at the rails, and this one won nicely; there were obviously some nice fillies in it.

“You’ve all seen what I saw today – we won’t be looking again!” 

Moore said: “Bedtime Story is a very good filly. She travelled very easy and they've gone too slow for her really. I had room at the three, so we started going forward and the race was over very quickly. She is a level above all of them. A performance like that, you don't see normally.”

When asked about comparisons with Fairy Godmother, he added: “It is a hard one. They haven't really been asked to do too much at home. We don't know a whole lot about them and we don't know what they've beaten yet, but they are two very exciting fillies.”

Winning co-owner Derrick Smith said: “I asked Ryan if Bedtime Story was as good as she looked and he said 'absolutely'. You can't get better than that. They don't win like that here. I am speechless really.” 

Pentle Bay’s trainer George Boughey said: “The winner looks a superstar – she’s by a champion, out of a champion. I expected Pentle Bay to run as he did today. He has shown plenty at home and did the race the right way round, which was really key – it’s really key for him to relax. He’s a horse with a big future.

“Teme Valley are big supporters of the yard – now more than ever. We’ve had some nice horses for them. Ciaron Maher and his team are going to have a really fun horse when he does get down to Australia.

“He’s still very raw. I think a race that stands out immediately is probably the Vintage at Goodwood. Not many New Bays feature this early in the season. He’s out of a Galileo mare and the pedigree would suggest that he’s going to be a miler, possibly a 10-furlong horse.”

Tom Marquand said of Pentle Bay: “I think we can probably count ourselves the winner of one race, and Ryan was the winner of the other! He’s obviously run massive and bumped into an extremely good horse.”

Brian’s jockey said: “Brian was a very cheap horse. He’s a lovely horse and tries very hard. We are delighted with how he ran.”