Forbidden Fire ready to step up to Group 1 plate

NEWMARKET, England – Andrew Balding will be hoping that his unbeaten juvenile Forbidden Fire can take the jump up to Group 1 company in her stride, when she contests the £500,000 (S$846,000) Fillies’ Mile (1,600m) at Newmarket on Oct 9.

Alongside fellow unbeaten rival Musical Times, who made a big impact with a seven-length win in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes (1,600m) at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting on Sept 10, Forbidden Fire features among the eight-strong field vying for the Group 1 prize.

The daughter of No Nay Never ran out a ready winner on debut at Salisbury and will now head into Group 1 company having followed up with a battling success against the colts in the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes (1,400m) at Doncaster on Sept 11.

“Forbidden Fire is a lovely filly. She’s beautifully bred and always looked like she had some ability,” said Balding to the Jockey Club.

“She started really well at Salisbury and stepped up on that again, second time out in a Listed race against colts.”

Forbidden Fire has yet to race over the mile trip she faces at Newmarket on Friday, and although Balding admits it is a question mark, he remains hopeful that she can score.

“The form has worked out well. The third horse (Nabati) has won the Mill Reef Stakes after that, so she’s relatively lightly raced, with just two starts, and I hope there’s still improvement in her,” said the Kingsclere trainer.

“The question mark is probably stepping up to a mile. Her siblings have deceived me in staying further than we ever thought they would.

“It’s probably worth a go, and she’s got the class. I hope she is competitive in the Fillies’ Mile.

“I think if you can be competitive in a Fillies’ Mile, you know where your stall’s going to be set for next season.

“So, part of the reason we’re running there is a fact-finding mission, and particularly in terms of trip. I think we need to establish that as quickly as we can.

“If there is a chance she’ll stay a mile. She’s, as I say, a high-class filly and travels very strongly, very straightforward, and I’d hope she’d run well.”

Balding will be doubly represented in the Fillies’ Mile, with the admirably tough Scommessa Sicura, who represents the Opulence Thoroughbreds and Chelsea and England international footballer Reece James, also declared to take her chance.

Having opened her account at Newmarket’s July meeting, the daughter of Cracksman subsequently ran second seven-and-a-half lengths behind Musical Times in the May Hill Stakes last time.

The two-year-old filly has been a remarkable model of consistency, finishing no worse than second in six starts. Besides the May Hill, she also finished runner-up in another Listed race, the Stonehenge Stakes (1,600m) at Salisbury on Aug 12.

“She has been so consistent this year. She’s had plenty of racing, but she’s never run a bad race, and she was second in the May Hill and second in the Stonehenge,” said Balding.

“I think the fillies this year are a particularly strong group at all distances, and she mixed it with some of the best of them.

“It’s great for Opulence to have a filly like her competing at the top level, and they’ve been owners with us for a while. It’s lovely to have a nice horse for them.”

Reece is no newcomer to horse ownership. The midfielder also races Faith In Florence and Sequel Star with trainer Ed Walker, and Hope In Havana with trainer William Haggas.

Just like Scommessa Sicura, those three are all juveniles, but have yet to open their accounts.

Football players or managers have often shown more than a spectator’s interest in horse racing.

The best examples of those who ventured into horse ownership are Michael Owen, Sir Alex Ferguson, Thomas Muller, Wayne Rooney, Ian Wright and, of course, the more famous case of late, dual Group 3 winner Seagulls Eleven raced by players from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Galileo Gold four-year-old ran a creditable third to Wimbledon Hawkeye at long odds of 33-1 in the Group 2 Prix Dollar (1,900m) at ParisLongchamp on Arc day on Oct 4.