Motion Makes a Move Toward Second QEII Score

Graham Motion can be forgiven if he thought that winning the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Stakes (G1T) was a snap. After all, he nailed it in his first try. That was back in 2003, a more innocent time, when Film Maker, a daughter of Dynaformer, beat the French stakes winner Maiden Tower in a photo-finish. "It was by the shortest head," Motion said. "It took the judges a very long time." But worth the wait. Motion, 39 at the time, was in his 11th year of training on his own. The Queen Elizabeth was his first grade 1 victory, a significant milestone in the life of any horseman. The ensuing years have been kind to the native Brit, populated by heavyweights like Animal Kingdom, Main Sequence, Better Talk Now, Shared Account, and Ring Weekend. Among active trainers, Motion ranks 12th on the list in terms of stable earnings. He also cleans up well and hits the mark whenever someone holding a microphone needs a forthright comment. Now, 22 years downstream from his success with Film Maker, Motion will try to win a second Queen Elizabeth with Newstead Stable's Laurelin (IRE). The Irish filly will go forth on Oct. 11 at Keeneland in search of her sixth lifetime victory without a defeat against a field of 3-year-old fillies that includes the race's usual mix of talents from several corners of the racing world. The Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Stakes was inaugurated in 1984 to coincide with the visit to Kentucky's Thoroughbred heartland by that noted British owner and breeder, Elizabeth Windsor herself. The Queen probably did not mind that the race was at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt, but the royal appearance inspired Keeneland management to create a turf course inside its nine-furlong dirt oval. In 1985, the race was moved to the new grass, where it has remained ever since. It has been a grade 1 race since 1991, and therefore a late-season target for every major stable with a top 3-year-old turf filly. No one will be surprised to learn that Chad Brown has won the race five times. John Veitch trained three of the first six winners after the QEII went to the turf. Ron McAnally, John Shirreffs, and Jim Cassidy all sent fillies from California to win the race, while Woody Stephens, Aidan O'Brien, Carl Nafzger, Christophe Clement, Mark Casse, James Toner, John Gosden, and Barclay Tagg can count the Queen Elizabeth among their many achievements. Laurelin has progressed from her first two wins last fall at Aqueduct Racetrack to a pair of minor stakes wins this season before her breakthrough score in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (G2T) Aug. 9. "I think we've been fairly conservative with how we've placed her and kind of built her up," Motion said. "I've never had any pressure from Jess and Steven, so it's always been what's in her best interest." Motion was referring to owners Jessica and Steven Jell, who have expanded their South African breeding and racing business to North America under the banner of Newstead Stables. The Jells purchased storied Newstead Farm in Upperville, Va., famed for its broodmare band that included Kittiwake, her daughter Miss Oceana, and her granddaughter, Magic of Life. They bought Laurelin as a yearling for 160,000 euros at the 2023 Goffs Orby Sale in Ireland. "After she went through Goffs, she went to Jamie Osbourne to be broken at Lambourn," Motion said. "Jamie really liked her. Actually, I think they had to wrestle her away. But credit to him." Laurelin is a darkish chestnut with a bit of white on a hind ankle. Her sire, Zarak (FR), is a son of Dubawi who won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) in 2017 for the Aga Khan. "She's very straightforward, other than the fact we send the pony with her every morning, because she can get a little playful. Otherwise, she's a pleasure to be around," Motion said. "We've always liked her a lot, but you never expect a horse to go 5-for-5. It's very unusual, especially at this level." Motion has tried to win his second QEII nine times since Film Maker. His fillies have finished second twice, including a tough loss in 2015 with Miss Temple City, who dropped a close one to Her Emmynency. "We had brutal luck that day," Motion said. "She should have won." The notes beneath the official chart tend to concur, noting that Miss Temple City "was caught in tight and steadied near the three-sixteenths pole when Her Emmynency came in, altered course to the outside of that one, came again but was unable to bridge the gap." Ouch. Shared Account also finished second for Motion in the 2009 Queen Elizabeth and went on to win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) the following year. Miss Temple City's 4-year-old season included victories over males in grade 1 stakes at Keeneland. Ancient history, though. Motion has his hands full with this year's opposition. "The Brad Cox filly looks very good," he said, referring to the Twirling Candy filly Fionn, whose only loss since breaking her maiden has been to the accomplished Nitrogen. "The English filly, Simmering, is interesting as well," Motion said. "And there's Chad Brown's filly, Opulent Restraint, who we've beaten before. But she's good, and Chad's Chad. "It's always been a race dear to my heart," Motion added. "Our filly has stepped up every time we've asked her to do anything. We'll see if she has the same answer once again."