Legacy Link ready for Musidora mission

The Tattersalls Musidora Stakes has been contested by many good fillies over the years and Legacy Link is looking to add her name to the race’s magnificent roll of honour at York on Wednesday.

The Juddmonte-owned filly heads the market for John and Thady Gosden, who won the 2022 and 2023 renewals with Emily Upjohn and Soul Sister respectively.

Legacy Link is bred to be special, being a daughter of Dubawi out of a full-sister to Frankel, and connections will be hopeful she can build on her promising two-year-old campaign on what is her seasonal reappearance.

The form of her fourth place finish behind Precise in last year’s Fillies’ Mile reads incredibly well, with the third home Evolutionist and the runner-up Venetian Lace going on to finish to finish second and third in the 1000 Guineas.

Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon said: “I thought she ran a great race in the Fillies’ Mile, indicating she wanted a step up in trip. The form of that race looks solid, with Karl Burke’s filly (Evolutionist) running a great race in the 1000 Guineas.

“She’s in good form, John and Thady are happy, and we’re very much looking forward to seeing her on track. This filly was always going to be about 10 furlongs, possibly even 12 furlongs – let’s hope the step up in trip can bring out even more improvement.”

Aidan O’Brien landed last year’s Musidora with Whirl and saddles Moments Of Joy this time. The Justify filly comes into this as one of the more experienced in the field and was a winner on debut at Leopardstown.

She has failed to get her head in front in her four runs since, but was only a short head behind stablemate and subsequent Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Cameo on her reappearance and looks as though she will benefit from the longer trip.

O’Brien – fresh from dominating the recent Classic trials in Britain – said: “We always thought she was a filly who was going to step up big time going a mile and a quarter. She would love a flat track, the distance and nice ground.”

Ed Walker’s unbeaten filly Felicitas comfortably accounted for 1.6 million guineas purchase Ribbon Of Sea at Sandown last month and steps into Group company for the first time.

Jockey Kieran Shoemark said: “I couldn’t have been more impressed with Felicitas at Sandown. For a filly that had only won a maiden on the all-weather, she adapted to both the turf and the demands of Sandown extremely well. I’m looking forward to riding her on a more conventional track like York in the Musidora.”

Sea The Storm justified odds-on favouritism when winning at Wetherby last month on her first outing since joining William Haggas’ stable. This will be her toughest test thus far, but she is highly regarded by her Somerville Lodge trainer.

“She won a novice race with a penalty at Wetherby, she wasn’t very impressive but she has some good form,” said Haggas.

“She won a maiden by five lengths for David Menuisier and then went to Germany and was second in a Group race. So she’s perfectly entitled (to run). She’s in the French Oaks as well, so we’ve got lots of ideas for her.”

Ralph Beckett’s K Sarra and George Boughey’s Della Pace round out the field.