Bookmaker Reviews

Posts Tagged ‘filly’

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pRichard Hannon will be hoping for better luck with Memory this weekend as he sends his top-class filly for the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh./p
pHannon’s top colt Strong Suit was beaten in the Phoenix Stakes at the track earlier this month, so it is now the turn of his best filly to live up to her exalted reputation./p
pThis has been the plan for some time and Hannon is counting down the hours after the ante-post favourite for the 1000 Guineas came through a workout on Saturday morning with flying colours under Richard Hughes./p
p”Hughesie was really pleased with Memory and although the filly messed about at home in the spring, she has become so much more professional,” the trainer told www.richardhannonracing.tv./p
p”She is fresh and raring for another race, so Sunday cannot come quick enough.”/p
pTo date the daughter of Danehill Dancer has done absolutely nothing wrong, winning her maiden at Goodwood, the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Cherry Hinton at Newmarket./p
pShe will face one extra rival as connections of the Jessica Harrington-trained Laughing Lashes have, as expected, supplemented her for the Group One./p
pAidan O’Brien is strongly represented as usual, with Misty For Me possibly the best of his six remaining entries./p
pShe was a length behind Laughing Lashes in the Debutante Stakes last time out, while stablemate Wild Wind beat the Harrington filly in a maiden, although she was having her first run on that occasion./p
pKevin Prendergast has two options, with Seeharn and Kissable./p
/body.contentimg src=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BritishHorseracingAuthorityNewsHeadlines/~4/cJKlKarNsOI” height=”1″ width=”1″/

Connections of Midday are plotting an autumn campaign centred on her defence of the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Churchill Downs in November.

Henry Cecil’s star filly recorded her fourth Group One triumph in the Yorkshire Oaks last week and is reported to have taken those exertions well.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for the owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, said: “We’ve decided Midday will head for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, but whether she’ll run again before then has not totally been established.”

“We’ll see how she goes over the next couple of weeks but at this stage, I would think the Prix Vermeille (September 12) would be more likely than the Prix de l’Opera (October 3).

“There is not a big issue there and the Breeders’ Cup is her main objective.”

Henry Cecil’s Midday recorded the fourth Group One win of her career in a dramatic Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York – with old rival Sariska refusing to race.

While the latter entered the stalls without turning a hair, as soon as the gates opened she stood still under Jamie Spencer and her race was over before it began.

Midday (11-4) travelled strongly throughout under Tom Queally and cruised to the front two furlongs from home. This year’s dual Oaks winner Snow Fairy tracked her to the furlong marker and tried to reel her in, but Midday had too many guns and passed the post three lengths ahead.

Queally said: “It’s fair to say she’s getting better as she gets older. They went a good pace and I was sort of waiting for Sariska to come. She settled very well and got the trip very well, if anything I got there going a bit too well. She’s one hell of a filly and she’s very special to me.

“I wasn’t aware Sariska was still in the stalls, I was keeping her up to her game as I thought she might be coming hard at the end. I knew I had the rest beat, but I went to the front a bit early. I needed a lead for another furlong and a half really, but she oozes class and ability and keeps getting better.”

Cecil added: “That was a great performance. She was always going so well and she went and won the race, but then thought she’d done enough. She thought she was alone in front but found more. It was a real pity Sariska didn’t race, but the second is a very good filly.

“I would say that’s as good as she’s ever been and it was her best ever run. It’s a bit of a consolation for the Prince (Khalid Abdullah, owner) with Twice Over getting beaten on Tuesday and it’s his decision where she runs next.

“There’s the Prix Vermeille, the Prix de l’Opera or the Breeders’ Cup. I wouldn’t have thought it would be the Arc. We’re not trying to prove we’re the best in the world, rather just the best filly. I knew today she was better than at Goodwood and time will tell if she can improve even further.”

Ed Dunlop, trainer of the runner-up, added: “I’m delighted. I thought for a moment she might do something, but then Midday has quickened again and she’s an exceptional filly. We’ll take her home and see how she is, but I’ve not ruled out the St Leger yet.”

Sir Michael Stoute’s Eleanora Duse finished third and Peter Reynolds, racing manager for owners Ballymacoll Stud, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled as the objective was to get her placed in a Group One and it’s paid off.”

Borderlescott is set to defend his crown in Friday’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York and features among 13 declarations for the Group One heat.

Robin Bastiman’s stable stalwart is chasing a hat-trick in the race having also scored when it was run at Newmarket in 2008. He looked highly unlikely to line up this year after suffering what was initially thought to have been a season-ending injury following a recent success at Goodwood.

Chief among his opposition is Aidan O’Brien’s Starspangledbanner, winner of the Golden Jubilee and July Cup on his last two appearances. Kingsgate Native won this race as a juvenile for John Best in 2007 and goes again, this time for Sir Michael Stoute.

Best is represented by another interesting juvenile, Stone Of Folca, who like Kingsgate Native did three years ago, heads to the Knavesmire as a maiden.

Barry Hills’ Equiano has yet to finish outside the first two in 2010 and is another major player, as is Jeremy Noseda’s speedy filly Fleeting Spirit. Hills also saddles Prime Defender, dual course winner Rose Blossom represents Richard Fahey and Sole Power joins Starspangledbanner on the trip from Ireland. Spin Cycle, Mister Hughie, Piccadilly Filly and Dinkum Diamond complete the line-up.

Michael Bell’s star filly Sariska remains firmly on course to take her chance in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks on August 19.

Last year’s dual Oaks winner had Midday behind when making a winning reappearance on the Knavesmire in May and was far from disgraced when chasing home Fame And Glory in Epsom’s Coronation Cup.

Bell said: “Sariska is in very good form and we are priming her for the Yorkshire Oaks. She seems in great health and if she remains that way, and the ground is suitable, then she will run.”

He added: “I feel that she is a fresher filly going into the race than she was last year as she has had a light campaign because her main targets after York are the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Breeders’ Cup.”

On the same afternoon, Bell is hoping to saddle talented two-year-old Margot Did in the Jaguar Cars Lowther Stakes.

After placed efforts in the Albany Stakes and Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot, her trainer hopes she can secure a first Pattern-race success.

“She is a nice filly and has been very consistent. She really deserves to win one of these races,” Bell added.

“Last time at Ascot she possibly hit the front too soon and just got caught late on. I think that the sharper six furlongs at York should suit better and she should have a big chance.”

Godolphin’s Hibaayeb attempts to recapture her juvenile form when she lines up for today’s Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The filly was a Group One winner last season for Clive Brittain and after disappointing in the 1000 Guineas, bounced back to something like her true form when caught close home by subsequent French Oaks heroine Sarafina in the Prix Saint-Alary.

“Hibaayeb ran a good race to finish third in France and I think that a return to Ascot will suit her, having won a Group One at the course at the end of last season,” said trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

“I think the step up to a mile and a half will be no problem for her and she goes into Thursday’s race in really good form. I was pleased to see that Sarafina won so well in France at the weekend as that gives the form a boost and I’m really looking forward to running her over this trip.”

Eldalil takes a big leap up in class and distance but connections were left with little choice after the Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum filly was found to be under the weather subsequent to landing a Newmarket maiden in April.

“It’s a difficult one in that she’s only run the once this year. She won well at Newmarket and I was surprised she had the speed to win a seven-furlong maiden like that,” said Angus Gold, racing manager to the owner.

“Then her blood went wrong and we had to give her a break. We haven’t had time to get another run into her which is a pity as it would have been nice to go for a mile-and-a-quarter Listed race to see if we were on the right track.

“Her pedigree certainly says she will stay. She is a nice filly, but whether she can make the jump up on this next start from a seven-furlong maiden to a mile and a half Group Two is a big ask. We’ll see what happens.”