Cinderella’s Dream winning the 2024 Saratoga Oaks. (Coglianese/NYRA)
One Big Girl In Diamond Rain
Filly & Mare Turf
Breeders’ Cup Closer Look
Godolphin’s Cinderella’s Dream (GB) has unfinished business in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). Stuck down inside for most of the race last year, she came flying through horses in last year’s edition to just miss at the wire, finishing a half-length second to Moira and swiftly passing her after the finish line, leaving many pondering what might have been. This year, in what is likely her final start before retirement, the daughter of Shamardal looks to rectify all by going out on top. Regular rider William Buick will take the reins on the Charlie Appleby trainee.
“I think the way she ran in it last year gives me some confidence,” Buick said. “It was soft ground last time at Newmarket and a horrible day and she’s a real fast-ground filly. She’s come out of it well. It would be lovely to get this one on her CV because she heads off to have babies. She’s a very good filly on her day and was very unlucky last year. She should have won, but that’s the name of the game around there. If she can run up to the same level, she’ll be right there.”
Since that run, she has had a productive season, dominating the Dahlia (G2) at Newmarket in May before taking the Falmouth (G1) over the same course in July. Between them, she was as good second in Royal Ascot’s Duke of Cambridge (G2). Her good form, on paper at least, appears to have tailed off since those three UK runs, including fourth in the 10-furlong Prix Jean Romanet (G1) in France and well-beaten third in the Sun Chariot (G1) back at Newmarket—both as the betting favorite.
“I’ll be honest with you, I’m delighted with her,” Appleby said. “I think she’s a different filly than what we saw in her last run in the Sun Chariot. She seems in better nick than her last two runs, but most importantly, I think that stepping up to the mile and three (furlongs) at Del Mar is going to suit her. We know what she is—she’s a quick-ground filly and she’s proven on it on tight tracks, so she ticks every box. With the draw (9), I’m not quite so worried about her. I go in there with a lot of confidence in her that she’s going in there in good shape.
“Potentially, in all likelihood, this is going to be her last run—win, lose or draw,” Appleby confirmed. “There’s not a lot more else she can achieve before she heads to the barns. For us, the biggest achievement was the Falmouth at Newmarket, which was a race we hoped she could get that European Group 1 success behind her. Ultimately, she’s been a model of consistency and what she achieved in the US is more than enough for her to be respected at stud.”
Appleby, who teamed with Buick to win the 2017 edition with Godolphin’s Wuheida (GB), also starts Diamond Rain (GB), winner of the Weight for Age Stakes (G3) Newcastle before just missing by a head behind arguably America’s top turf filly, She Feels Pretty, in Woodbine’s E. P. Taylor (G1) on Aug. 16. Also, a daughter of late, great sire Shamardal—but the similarities stop there.
“They are like David and Golliath when you look at them, with over a hundred or so kilograms difference between them,” Appleby said with a laugh. “They both shipped over well, but Diamond Rain is one big girl, and the challenge is going to be that track.
“In the E. P. Taylor, she was on the outer track at Woodbine, there, and again she sort of struggled there a bit, but she gained experience,” he concluded. “We tried to educate as best we can at home. She gets the trip and seems to handle that ground, so she goes there as a player who takes sensible form into the race.”
From five starters in the race, Appleby was also fourth with Beautiful Love (IRE) (2024), seventh with With The Moonlight (IRE) (2023) and a close second with Wild Illusion (GB) (2018) in addition the aforementioned Wuheida and Cinderella’s Dream.
