See The Fire, ridden by Oisin Murphy
See The Fire, ridden by Oisin Murphy

Middleton Stakes report, video replay and reaction from York as See The Fire wins


See The Fire landed the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' Stakes in good style at York on Thursday.

Andrew Balding's four-year-old was held up in the rear by Oisin Murphy but she scythed through the field in the home straight under her confident-looking jockey.

She just went further clear in the final quarter-mile, winning by an incredible 12 lengths at odds of 8/11.

This looked an improvement again on her excellent three-year-old season last campaign, where she came closest to breaking her Group 1 duck in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.

She also ran behind City Of Troy in the Coral-Eclipse and won the Strensall Stakes at York, further underlining her love for the Knavesmire.

Options are plentiful for the daughter of Sea The Stars with a return crack at the Nassau at Goodwood and the Juddmonte International back here in August on the table.

Balding said: “She wasn’t at her best that day [at Sandown in the Coral-Eclipse] but she really found her feet after that, winning here in the Strensall, and she ran very well on Champions Day having had a busy season.

“There’s lots to look forward to.”

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Murphy said: "She relaxed great. I felt I got there too early at Sandown and perhaps - she'd been doing a lot of work at home but maybe she hadn't been asked a question at home - she did get tired on a stiff track like Sandown. The aim was obviously to run Kalpana but unfortunately she didn't scope clean on Tuesday so I switched and I'm very grateful that Sheikh Fahad allowed me to come here because we had runners elsewhere.

"I thought it was evenly-run and she was always comfortable and in control. She was only beaten a head and a neck in the Nassau last year and I was gutted because I thought we might get there but anyway, she deserves to win at the top level and it's great that Jeff [Smith, owner] is here today enjoying her."


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