Air Force Indi will be immediately upped in grade for her next start following a successful first appearance at Newmarket.
The daughter of Air Force Blue was a €175,000 breeze-up purchase by Nick Bradley and donning the black and white colours of his popular syndicate, she created a taking impression when debuting on the July Course.
Sent off at 5-1 in the hands of Clifford Lee, the Karl Burke-trained filly travelled professionally and although she showed signs of greenness late on, she still hit the line strong to register a three-quarter-length success.
Bigger and better things are now predicted for the talented youngster, who will head into Group company for either the Ire-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Dick Poole Fillies’ Stakes at Salisbury on September 7 or Kempton’s Unibet Zero% Mission Sirenia Stakes two days later.
“She’s a smart filly and she is a half-sister to Faydhan, who was once fancied for the 2000 Guineas before he flopped in the Free Handicap and she has a very nice pedigree,” said Bradley, who is managing director of Nick Bradley Racing.
“Eddie O’Leary bought her in America and took her to the French breeze-ups. He told me before the breeze-ups that she was pretty smart. I liked her breeze so I bought her.
“We went to Newmarket and I thought she would win, but when you go to Newmarket you can never be too sure and there were one or two well-fancied horses in there. She did it nicely and she pricked her ears on the line.
“She will now go for the Dick Poole at Salisbury in the first week of September or the Sirenia Stakes at Kempton a few days later.”
Having tasted big-race success with the likes of Dandalla, Oscula and Mystery Angel in recent years, hopes are high that Air Force Indi could become the next filly to climb the ladder to the highest level for the syndicate.
She has been handed an entry for Newmarket’s Group One Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes on September 30 and although that assignment may be some way off, it is a clear indication of the high esteem in which the daughter of Air Force Blue is held.
“Her work at home has always been very good and Karl thinks plenty of her,” added Bradley.
“She has a Cheveley Park Stakes entry and we will aim for there.
“She could be a filly who is ground dependent and being an American filly, I don’t think she would want too much dig in the ground, but we think she is a Group level filly.”
