G1 for Mastercraftsman mare A Raving Beauty

A Raving Beauty (5m Mastercraftsman-Anabasis, by High Chaparral) retained her unbeaten record since moving to the US with a G1 success on the Belmont Stakes card in New York on Saturday.

The Mastercraftsman mare, bred in Germany by Gestut Karlshof, won in G3 company at Belmont in May and took trainer Chad Brown’s decision to step her up to a G1 event in her stride.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr pounced late to win the $700,000 G1 Just A Game Stakes by three-quarter of a lengths from a field of top performers.

“We showed a lot of confidence her first time in this country putting her in a graded stakes last time and she delivered and ran really well,” said Brown.

“Then to come around and come right back in a few short weeks and to be put in a Grade 1, that's climbing the ladder pretty fast given her previous form. She really responded and I'm so impressed with the way she ran today, and how, in both starts, Irad has gotten along with her.

“I thought he made a really important decision early when La Coronel decided to move down the backside to just stay behind her and get her to relax and maybe drop the bit a little. Then she responded and she switched off nicely and came with that good turn of foot that she showed in her first start.”