Royal runner Perfect Alibi bags Beckford prize

Listed success for the King’s filly at Yarmouth.

Perfect Alibi carried the royal colours of the King to Listed success in the British Stallion Studs EBF Beckford Stakes at Yarmouth.

A dual winner at Newbury earlier in the season, the Le Havre filly was last seen finishing second to Hoo Ya Mal in the March Stakes at Goodwood in late August.

Stepping down in class in the hands of Tom Marquand, Perfect Alibi was the 11-4 favourite to complete a treble on the card for her trainer William Haggas following the earlier victories of Tafreej and Sea Speedwell – and ultimately did so in impressive style.

After travelling smoothly towards the front end, it looked like the three-year-old could have a real fight on her hands when Pearl Beach came from further back to mount a challenge.

But the further Perfect Alibi went, the better she looked and she had four and a quarter lengths in hand at the line – providing the King with his second winner since inheriting the royal runners from his late mother the Queen, following Just Fine’s success at Leicester last week.

“She’s really proving herself now and that was a very good performance,” Marquand told Sky Sports Racing.

“She just struggled for a bit of toe coming into that top bend to hold her pitch, but she travelled really sweet down the back and to be honest, from the bottom of the straight it was always pretty evident she was going to be dominant as long as she had a bit of space to get rolling.

“She’s a darling of a filly and is really coming to the fore now. That last furlong was the strongest I’ve felt from her, so hopefully that’s a sign that things are still to come from her and she can keep improving physically.”

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