Midnight Mile puts down Classic marker in Oh So Sharp victory

Fahey youngster earns 1000 Guineas quotes in staying unbeaten.

Midnight Mile showed Classic potential in coming with a strong late run to cause a 22-1 surprise in the Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket.

A debut winner at Doncaster in July, she had not been seen since, but hailing from an illustrious family that includes Yesterday and Quarter Moon and running in the same colours, the No Nay Never filly clearly has a bright future.

Just a few days on from landing the Prix de l’Abbaye with stable star The Platinum Queen, trainer Richard Fahey was celebrating another big-race victory – this time notably with his relatively new stable jockey Oisin Orr, with the pair enjoying their biggest success together.

A little short of room with two furlongs to run, Orr – winning his first race on the Rowley Mile – had to take his medicine as the race developed up front with Ralph Beckett’s Loose Yourself, another unbeaten filly, hitting the front.

When the gap eventually appeared, Midnight Mile took off on hitting the rising ground and won by a head, with three-quarters of a length back to Small Oasis.

Paddy Power and Betfair introduced the winner into their 1000 Guineas betting at 33-1.

“We thought she was a nice filly and thought she wouldn’t be out of her depth,” said Fahey’s assistant, Robin O’Ryan.

“To say we thought we’d win might be stretching it, but we knew she wouldn’t disgrace herself.

“She’s a nice filly with a great temperament and gets the trip well, so we’ve just taken our time with her. She’d won her race and we thought we’d see how she came on for it.

“I think we’ll put away her and dream now. I think that (a Guineas trial) would be the obvious target – I think handicaps will be out now!”

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