Nicholls on a high following Listed strike from Mo Celita

Filly triumphed at Deauville on Sunday.

Adrian Nicholls is thrilled with Mo Celita after the filly provided him with a landmark Listed success in the Prix Moonlight Cloud at Deauville on Sunday.

Ridden by Hollie Doyle, Mo Celita made all of the running in the six-furlong event and stayed on well under pressure to cross the line three-quarters of a length ahead of the runner up.

The victory is the latest step in Mo Celita’s rise from a 62-rated participant in selling races to black-type performer, a transformation that began when she joined Nicholls’ yard in April.

Beginning her career on English turf with a hat-trick of wins in sellers, the bay then won twice more after turning her hand to handicapping and ran with credit when beaten by just a length in the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A step up to Group Three company in the Summer Stakes at York resulted in a below-par performance, but the three-year-old was out of sorts on that occasion and proved her class at stakes level at Deauville.

The victory is a first Listed winner for Nicholls, who trains just 20 horses in North Yorkshire and has already surpassed last season’s total number of victories.

“She’s a superstar, it was unbelievable,” he said.

“We’re only a very small yard with 20 horses and that’s us into double figures (for winners this season), so to win a stakes race on Prix Maurice de Gheest day is unbelievable.

“It’s great for her connections. They bought her for that reason and they could have probably taken her to a bigger trainer, but they stayed loyal and it’s great that she’s repaid them.

“Hollie gave her a great ride, it was just a good result all round.

“That’s our first Listed winner, we came close last year but it’s hard for anybody to get the ammunition.

“It’s great that she’s come up through the ranks. She’s still progressive and she’s only run one below-par race for us at York and she wasn’t right after that when she got home.”

Mo Celita is jointly owned by David Howden and David Redvers, racing manager for Qatar Racing and owner of Tweenhills Stud, and Nicholls will consult both parties as he plans a next outing for their filly.

“The owners are very professional people and they know what they’re doing, it was the plan to go there and it all worked out – the prize-money is good in France, too,” he said.

“There are a few races back in France and there’s a race at the Ayr Western Meeting, there are a lot of options for her.

“She’s got a hell of a lot of speed so coming back to five furlongs is not an issue, so between me and Mr Redvers’ team we’re trying to chart the best course.”

Adrian Nicholls cheering on Mo Celita at Royal Ascot
Adrian Nicholls cheering on Mo Celita at Royal Ascot (Steven Paston/PA)

The Group One Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp could be a longer-term target, a race that Glass Slippers has both won and finished second in after also taking the Prix Moonlight Cloud as a three-year-old.

“I think the Prix de l’Abbaye at the end of the year might be an option because she clearly goes on very soft ground, but there’ll probably be a Listed race or a Group Three en route,” Nicholls said.

“Glass Slippers won that race she won yesterday and everyone knows what Glass Slippers went on to do. I don’t know if she can emulate her but the form of the race looks strong with the French horses – a few of them have been running in Group Ones.

“It was just great to get the Listed win for her, obviously for her breeding it’s great in that respect, so it’s onwards and upwards now.

“That was her main aim and if she can step up again, so be it, she’s been an absolute superstar for me.”

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