Mecca’s Angle – stars at York
Mecca’s Angel provided a breathtaking performance to chase down American raider Acapulco and become the fifth filly in 11 years to land the valuable Nunthorpe Stakes, and hand trainer Micheal Dods and jockey Paul Mulrennan a first Group 1.
Drawn in stall four Acapulco broke cleanly and was urged quickly to the front by Irad Ortiz, with Justineo tracking the leader.
Inside the final furlong Ortiz began to turn the screw on the field and the daughter of Scat Daddy responded with enthusiasm storming down the centre with a clear two length advantage.
But as Acapulco looked to steam away with victory Mulrennan appeared out of the pack on Mecca’s Angel reeling in Wesley Ward’s runner, gaining with every stride to eventually fly past and win by a comprehensive two lengths with Mattmu finishing third.
First Group 1 success
Jockey Paul Mulrennan – first Gr1
A dual Group 3 winner, both times partnered by Mulrennan Mecca’s Angel was last seen being beaten into second by Stepper Point after being sent off the odds-on favourite in a Group 2 at the Curragh.
Dods, enjoying his first success at the highest level, said: “We’ve looked after her and fair play to everyone involved. She’s shown what she can do in her conditions and has been worth the wait. She’s a serious horse.”
“We’ve been saying all year she’s going to win a Group 1 and things just haven’t gone her way with the ground whatsoever but she proved today she is the real deal and when she gets her toe in she’s awesome.
“Mulrennan added: “She was great at the start, buzzing, we got a lovely break, jumped and travelled good. I always had the American horse in my eyes.”
‘Second tough to swallow’
There was a huge amount of expectation coming into the race for Acapulco, having been an impressive winner of the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot in June and the juvenile filly came into the race with a huge weight advantage over her rivals, 20lb lower than Mecca’s Angel.
Ward said: “I was very proud of her, any time you get a two-year-old filly up against older horses like this. She made the running and finishing second is a little tough to swallow, but she is a lovely filly and she has done everything right. To come back and forth twice and run as big as she did, it was an amazing run.
“Irad Ortiz said, and I agree with him, that the ground was a little soft today and that maybe was something that she is not quite used to and she would really prefer firm ground but we got beat on the square, there are no real excuses. It would have been great to win but I am really proud of her.
“I will talk with everybody at Coolmore and we will make a plan but she has got a big future, she is very sound and she has got a world of speed. I think she has got some big days coming in the future.”
Future target
Following the victory Paddy Power made Mecca’s Angel the 2-1 favourite for the Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye, though she is available at 5-1 with William Hill for the Longchamp Group 1.
Dods said: “I think we might run her once more this season. The plan would be the Abbaye. She’s also in the Flying Five in Ireland if conditions are right we’d possibly go there but if conditions aren’t right we won’t run again this season.”
Mecca’s Angel clocked a hugely impressive time on ground described as good to soft, her winning time of 57.24 secs faster than the Racing Post standard of 57.30 secs.
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