Bated Breath filly Worth Waiting wins the Dahlia Stakes

The progressive David Lannigan-trained four-year-old Worth Waiting put up the best performance of her career to date when taking the Group 2 Charm Spirit Dahlia Stakes over nine furlongs at Newmarket this afternoon. Ridden by James Doyle, the Whatton Manor Stud-bred bay won by a length from Nyaleti, taking her record to five wins from eight starts.

Last year's shock 1000 Guineas winner Billesdon Brook finished three and a quarter lengths farther back in third, a nose in front of 5/4 favourite Veracious.

The winner may now step back up to stronger company as she holds entries in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes, and Group 1 Juddmonte Pretty Polly Stakes. Having won four in a row last summer, culminating in the Group 3 Prix Minerve over 12 and a half furlongs at Deauville, she finished fourth to Kitesurf in the Group 1 Qatar Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp in mid-September.

Worth Waiting puts in a game performance to win the Charm Spirit Dahlia Stakes with James Doyle aboard □ pic.twitter.com/wQ72vN9vro

— The Jockey Club (@TheJockeyClub) May 5, 2019

Worth Waiting is a 40,000gns graduate of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and is the best of several winners out of Salutare (by Sadler's Wells). Her dam won three times in France as a three-year-old and could be described as being a three-parts sister to the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak heroine Montare (by Montjeu).

That seven-time scorer also won the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu, two editions of the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris, and a pair of listed contests, her string of pattern-race placings featured the runners-up spot in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille, and she has since become a broodmare of note.

Travelling Man (by Oasis Dream) is the best of Montare's sons. Although not a stakes winner, he has been placed many times in blacktype company and notably when third in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville and Group 2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier. However, it is one of his half-sisters who is the star sibling.

The John Gosden-trained Journey (by Dubawi) beat Speedy Boarding by four lengths to take the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Fillies/Mare Stakes at Ascot, she also won the Group 3 Pinnacle Stakes at Haydock and three listed contests, chased home Simple Verse in the 2015 edition of the Ascot race, and Bateel in 2017's Group 1 Prix Vermeille.

Montare and Salutare are among a remarkable tally of 11 wins among a dozen foals produced from dual French listed scorer Contare (by Shirley Heights), the next dam is the listed-placed juvenile winner Balenare (by Pharly), and the fourth dam of Worth Waiting is Flashy (by Sir Ivor), who won the Listed Strensall Stakes.

This is a branch of the influential Moller family descending from Horama (by Panorama) – the seventh dam of Worth Waiting – one whose notable representatives include Group 1 winners such as Moulton (by Pardao), Kirtling (by Grundy), Nicolotte (by Night Shift), Teenoso (by Youth), Favoletta (by Baldric), Rule Of Law (by Kingmambo), Sir Percy (by Mark Of Esteem), Give Notice (by Warning), Old Country (by Quiet Fling), Ashayer (by Lomond), Aqaarid (by Nashwan), Alampur (by Catcher In The Rye), Imperial Dancer (by Primo Dominie), Tryster (by Shamardal), Harayir (by Gulch), Give Thanks (by Relko), Prince Bishop (by Dubawi), Olympic Glory (by Choisir), and Braiswick (by King Of Spain), as well as the classic-placed Silky (by Nijinsky), Furioso (by Ballymoss), Alshakr (by Bahri), and Most Welcome (by Be My Guest).

Those stars are so remote to Worth Waiting as to have no bearing on her talent, but these scattered roots combined with her strong close-up pedigree will make her a fascinating prospect whenever the time comes for her to retire to the paddocks.