Soft Whisper finds full voice in Rosemary Stakes

UAE 1,000 Guineas heroine Soft Whisper secured a valuable Listed success on turf with a decisive win in the Listed Rosemary Stakes at Newmarket, UK, on Friday, 24 September.

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained filly, making her first appearance since the UAE Derby on Dubai World Cup Night, raced prominently for Frankie Dettori throughout the mile contest and quickened to take up the running a furlong and a half from home.

Soft Whisper asserted passing the furlong-pole and stayed on well in the closing stages, despite drifting towards the far rail, to prevail by a length and three-quarters over G3 winner Maamora.

Saeed bin Suroor said: “I am very happy with Soft Whisper, who won nicely. We don’t have any race in mind for her at the moment but it’s likely that we will take her back out to Dubai. She has won on the dirt at Meydan, although she could be a filly for the G2 Cape Verdi and G2 Balanchine on the turf.”

Frankie Dettori said: “Soft Whisper won well and answered every call. We went a good gallop and they were taking me on all the way, so I thought that Soft Whisper might not see it out after her long layoff, but she has stuck to her guns. She was going right at the end but I think it was just fatigue.

“There are plenty of races for her out in Dubai and I think that will be the main aim for her. She wasn’t slow today and I wouldn’t go any further than a mile and quarter. A mile is tailor-made for her and she might get away with nine furlongs.”