Qatar Racing’s Sunstrike opens her account on second start

Oisin Murphy (second from left) rides Sunstrike to victory in the Maiden Fillies' Stakes in Kempton, England, on Wednesday. (John Hoy)

In the burgundy and gold braids of Qatar Racing Limited, Sunstrike opened her scorecard at Kempton on Wednesday evening in the Maiden Fillies’ Stakes over 1,200m for two-year-olds. She was making just her second start for trainers John and Thady Gosden, and was partnered in the race by Qatar Racing Limited retained jockey Oisin Murphy. Sunstrike was somewhat slow into stride out of the stalls and so Murphy settled her in towards the rear. Travelling smoothly around the bend on the all-weather track, she was asked to lengthen by her jockey with 500 metres to run. They stalked the leaders in their acceleration, still three lengths off. Switched to the centre in the final 100 metres, she showed a huge burst of speed to fly to the lead and just headed the Archie Watson-trained and Adam McNamara-ridden Blaast by a nose in a photo finish. The Saeed bin Suroor-trained and Callum Shepherd-ridden Wild Place was a half-length further behind in third. Sunstrike is by top juvenile and sprint sire Dark Angel, who incidentally also sired the winner of the Qatar Racing And Equestrian Club Ballyogan Stakes (Group 3), Sonaiyla, at Curragh minutes later.