Rogue Millennium could put Clover in big-race spotlight

Promising filly takes Lingfield trial test on Saturday.

Tom Clover is excited to roll the dice with Rogue Millennium in the SBK Oaks Trial at Lingfield.

Unraced for Marcus Tregoning and the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, the daughter of Dubawi changed hands for 35,000 guineas as part of the Shadwell dispersal in November.

She gave her new connections an immediate return on their investment when making a winning debut at Wetherby, and now tests the water at Listed company just under a fortnight later.

Clover said: “She won her maiden well, she’s by Dubawi and she’s a gorgeous looking filly, so I just felt why not take a chance?

“You’ll ask her and she finds for you and it’s hard to know how much is there. She’s a very willing partner, she’s in good form and we feel the extra two furlongs will suit her very well.

“Hopefully she can give a good account of herself and pick up some black type.”

Rogue Millennium is not entered for the Cazoo Oaks, but is in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.

When asked whether she could be supplemented for next month’s Epsom Classic if successful on Saturday, Clover added: “It’s very much let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.

“I believe she goes to Lingfield with a chance in what looks an open race. There’s a few maiden winners in there and a few that are more battle-hardened perhaps. It will be a very interesting affair.

“I really like our filly and I would love her to run a massive race for the owners (The Rogues Gallery), who have been big supporters.”

Rogue Millennium is one of two once-raced winners in the field along with John and Thady Gosden’s Wolverhampton scorer Belt Buckle.

Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore team up with Emily Dickinson
Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore team up with Emily Dickinson (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

Aidan O’Brien, who won this race with top-class Seventh Heaven in 2016, is this year represented by recent Naas winner Emily Dickinson, the mount of Ryan Moore.

She reappeared this year when fifth to Above The Curve and Thoughts Of June at Leopardstown, before getting off the mark last month.

The form of her Leopardstown run has been well advertised this week and O’Brien is expecting further progress.

“She’s a very well-bred Dubawi filly out of Chicquita, so going up in trip was always going to suit her,” he said.

“She had just the one run last year and then first run back at Leopardstown against the two fillies who ran at Chester this week, she was a little green.

“She was still a bit babyish at Naas, where she met a bit of trouble but was still able to get out and win.

“She won nicely enough in the end and Ryan thought going up in trip would be no problem.”

The George Boughey-trained Mystic Wells turns out 11 days after recording a narrow victory in a Brighton handicap, while Nikhi (Jedd O’Keeffe), Speak (Andrew Balding) and Suzy’s Shoes (Eve Johnson Houghton) also feature.

The Group Three SBK Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes stages a rematch between Roger Varian’s She Do and the Hugo Palmer-trained Chocoya.

There was just three-quarters of a length between the pair when they finished first and fourth in the Listed Boadicea Stakes at Newmarket in October and both have been off the track since.

Palmer, who has booked the in-form Moore for the ride, said: “I’m happy with her. She likes fast ground and a sharp seven (furlongs) should suit her well.

“I think the fact she wants fast ground is important and she is a very game filly.”

Thunder Beauty (David O’Meara), Irish raider Wren’s Breath (Henry de Bromhead) and course winner Pearl Glory (Kevin Philippart De Foy) are also in the mix for what looks a wide-open contest.

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