Caroline Dale set to go back up in class

Keith Hamer
July 15, 2020 1:47 pm

Loughnane filly confirmed Ascot promise with easy novice win.

Caroline Dale is to step back up to Pattern company after gaining a deserved first career success in convincing fashion at Windsor.

Races such as the Princess Margaret, Molecomb and Lowther Stakes are to be considered by connections following her smooth all-the-way win on Monday.

Those punters who took the odds of 4-7 hardly had an anxious moment as the daughter of Lethal Force came home two and a quarter lengths clear of the opposition in a novice race at the Berkshire venue.

The David Loughnane-trained filly was sent off such a short price after outrunning odds of 100-1 when third in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“As you’d expect, we were fairly confident going down there,” said Loughnane.

“It wasn’t a formality, but we were expecting the performance she put in.

“We’ve thought a lot of her from day one. She went to Ascot, and there was a lot more pressure (at Windsor). She got the job done in nice fashion. We were really pleased with her, and she’s come out of the race very well.

“She’s a very exciting filly.”

Loughnane hopes the filly may find more improvement when she goes up in trip. She was second over six furlongs on her debut last month.

“I think she will probably be better over six,” added her Shropshire trainer.

“She’s certainly got the pace for five – but the further they went (at Windsor), the better she was.

“We’ve got plenty of options. She’s had three fairly quick runs in the space of a month, and that can be a lot for a two-year-old.

“She has a fantastic constitution – (her last race) took nothing out of her.

“We’ve got a few options on the table. There’s the Princess Margaret at Ascot on July 26. You’ve got the Molecomb (at Goodwood) pencilled in, and the Lowther at York.

“We’ll be going into black-type company, whether that be Listed or Group Three next. We’ve got plenty of options with her, and I think we can go where we want.”