Melodist

Melodist began her racing career by finishing fifth in a maiden race over six furlongs and then ran second in a similar event over a furlong further. In September she started odds-on favourite against sixteen opponents for a maiden over one mile at Brighton Racecourse and won by four lengths. She was then moved up in class when she was sent to Ireland for the Futurity Stakes at the Curragh Racecourse and finished third behind the colts Demon Magic and Gold Discovery.[2]

In 1988 Melodist was ridden in all four of her races by Walter Swinburn. She did not run as a three-year-old until 22 May when she was sent to Italy for the Oaks d'Italia over 2400 metres on soft ground at the San Siro Racecourse in Milan. The finish of the race was dominated by overseas challengers as Melodist won by one and a half lengths from her fellow British raider Asl (previously second in the Musidora Stakes) with the French-trained Summer Trip a neck away in third.[5] On 9 July Melodist was one of nine runners to contest the Irish Oaks over one and a half miles at the Curragh and started at odds of 11/1. The 2/9 favourite for the race was Diminuendo, ridden by Steve Cauthen, who had won The Oaks by four lengths. Both Melodist and Diminuendo were owned by Sheikh Mohammed and based at Newmarket, but whereas Melodist was trained by Stoute, the favourite was trained by Henry Cecil at Warren Place. The other fancied runners were Dancing Goddess (second in the Irish 1000 Guineas), Miss Boniface (Ribblesdale Stakes) and Silver Lane (Prix de la Grotte). Melodist tracked the leaders before overtaking Miss Boniface before going to the front a furlong and a half from the finish. She faced a strong late challenge from Diminuendo and after a sustained struggle the two fillies crossed the line together with the judge declaring a dead heat.[6]

Melodist was matched against older horse and male opposition when she was stepped up in distance for the Geoffrey Freer Stakes over one mile five and a half furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on 13 August. After being restrained at the rear of the six-runner field she took the lead in the straight but hung badly to the right in the closing stages and was beaten two lengths into second by the three-year-old colt Top Class. The leading older horses Ibn Bey and Moon Madness came home fourth and fifth.[7] On her final appearance the filly was sent to France for the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp Racecourse on 11 September but ran poorly and finished last of the eight runners behind Indian Rose.