Brazen Beau Filly Exploring All Courage in Blue Diamond Prelude

Mark Smith - Saturday February 11

Godolphin claimed both divisions of the Blue Diamond Preludes after the Brazen Beau filly Exploring went coast to coast in the Group II Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude for fillies at Sandown-Hillside on Saturday.

That was brave (image Grant Courtney)

Ridden by Craig Williams for James Cummings, Exploring led bravely from the front. She defied the chasing pack in defeating the promising Sidestep filly Party For Two by a length with a further three-quarter length back to the Extreme Choice debutant Extreme Threat, who came off the reserve bench to claim some vital black-type.

At her debut on New Year's Day, Exploring led all the way over 1000m at Flemington. She was just over a length from the winner De Sonic Boom when fourth in the Group III Blue Diamond Preview on January 26.

Stable representative Sean Keogh said the team would decide whether to tackle the Blue Diamond or Thoroughbred Breeders Plate.

“The choices are there, and on what she’s done today she’ll acquit herself really well. It will be up to James and the team to cement a decision with only a fortnight away to the big one,” Keogh said.

“We had a wonderful colt (Barber) in the previous race put them to bed which Jamie (Kah) thought she had more in the tank, so the guys will weigh that up on Monday morning, but we’re delighted to get that black-type race out of the way, and now she’s quite valuable.

“We saw on debut that wonderful constitution she had to put herself in the race and close it off well.

“She was tough in the Preview with horses on either side of her from the get-go in the breeze, and she faltered a little bit late, but Craig was confident in how he rode her, and so was James (Cummings).

“So we didn’t fault on the tactics. We brought her here on Tuesday morning. She did a wonderful piece of work that we feel gave her

confidence again, and it was great to see her produce another good performance.”

Exploring a 22nd stakes winner for Brazen Beau (image Grant Courtney)

Exploring is a sixth-generation descendent of the Golden Slipper winner Fairy Walk. Her great granddam Step (Grand Lodge) is a half-sister to Group 1 QTC Stradbroke Handicap winner Crawl and dual Listed winner Old Man and to the dam of 4-time Group 1 winner Trapeze Artist.

Step produced the Group II MVRC AAMI Vase winner, Marching and the Listed MRC Debutant Stakes winner Gait.

Exploring is the first foal of the Group III placed Exceed An Excel mare Cristobal, which has a yearling colt and colt foal by Street Boss (USA).

Spirit Of Boom covered Cristobal on October 8.

Exploring is the 22nd stakes winner for Darley Stud's brazen Beau.

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Race Result - Blue Diamond Prel (F) Gr2 1100m

Sandown-Hillside Track: Good(3) Time: 1:03.49
1
Exploring
- 2f Brazen Beau (AUS) x Cristobal (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Craig Williams 56
2
1.0
Party For Two
- 2f Sidestep (AUS) x Ponte Roma (NZ) (Pins (AUS))
Tnr: Damien Batters Rdr: Ms N Beriman 56
3
1.8
Extreme Threat
- 2f Extreme Choice (AUS) x Diamond Meteor (AUS) (Northern Meteor (AUS))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: Ethan Brown 56
4
1.9
Sensical
- 2f Zoustar (AUS) x Karuta Queen (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: P G Moody Rdr: D W Stackhouse 56
5
2.0
Cigar Flick
- 2f Churchill (IRE) x Palmateer (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: Damian Lane 56
6
2.9
Charm Stone
- 2f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Najoom (AUS) (Northern Meteor (AUS))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: M Zahra 56
7
3.9
Beauty Rising
- 2f Deep Field (AUS) x Coral Reef (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: P Stokes Rdr: Zac Spain 56
8
4.7
Soju
- 2f Capitalist (AUS) x Fashion Model (AUS) (I Am Invincible (AUS))
Tnr: Simon Zahra Rdr: Damien Thornton 56
9
4.8
Zousuko
- 2f Zoustar (AUS) x Tetsuko (AUS) (I Am Invincible (AUS))
Tnr: John McArdle Rdr: J Mott 56
10
5.2
Subrising
- 2f Needs Further (AUS) x Grisbi's Run (AUS) (Savoire Vivre (GB))
Tnr: N A Blackiston Rdr: Jordan Childs 56
11
5.4
Dreamwoman
- 2f Cable Bay (IRE) x Exsqueeze Me (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: L & T Corstens Rdr: Jye McNeil 56
12
5.5
De Sonic Boom
- 2f Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Demasheen (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: B Shinn 56
13
7.0
Atlantic Spirit
- 2f Frosted (USA) x True Priority (AUS) (Bel Esprit (AUS))
Tnr: D Binaisse Rdr: Teodore Nugent 56
14
11.5
Chill The Krug
- 2f Shalaa (IRE) x Earth Angel (AUS) (Animal Kingdom (USA))
Tnr: T Busuttin & N Young Rdr: D Moor 56
15
11.6
Shaddow Fear
- 2f Sioux Nation (USA) x Noetic (AUS) (Cape Cross (IRE))
Tnr: Luke Fernie Rdr: Chris Parnham 56
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