Albaflora seeking Princess Royal crown

Molly Hunter
September 23, 2021 4:19 pm

Yorkshire Oaks second aiming for Group Three honours.

Ralph Beckett’s Albaflora is hunting Group Three glory in the Princess Royal Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

The four-year-old is the market leader after finishing second to triple Oaks winner Snowfall in the Yorkshire version in August.

Albaflora finished closer to Aidan O’Brien’s filly than any of her other rivals across her Oaks hat-trick, with the daughter of Muhaarar losing out by four lengths on the Knavesmire.

Prior to that she finished third when Wonderful Tonight took Goodwood’s Lillie Langtry Stakes and was fifth of 10 behind that filly in the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“This looks a really good spot for her this week,” Beckett said of the grey, who is owned and was bred by Kirsten Rausing.

“She’s in rare form and we’re looking forward to it.”

Albaflora winning a Haydock maiden on her first racecourse appearance (David Davies/PA)

George Boughey’s Mystery Angel is looking to return to form after a below-par performance in the Prix de Pomone at Deauville last time out.

The Kodi Bear filly finished last of six, but connections feel she was unsuited by the softer going and running again too soon after her third place in the Prix de Psyche at the same track 15 days before.

“We do think she’s going to be better on fast ground, which it looks like she’s going to get at Newmarket,” said Nick Bradley, managing director of ownership group Nick Bradley Racing.

“We went to France and she wasn’t quite right that last time, we probably turned her out too quickly so that was excused.

Mystery Angel winning the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse (Mike Egerton/PA)

“She wants a strongly-run race, if there isn’t a strong pace then she will go forward.

“I think she goes there with a good each-way chance.”

Godolphin have two chances, with Charlie Appleby’s Sayyida due to run after her fourth place in the Group Three Prix Minerve at Deauville on August 15.

John and Thady Gosden are represented by Pennymoor for the same owner, a Frankel filly who was well beaten when stepping up to Listed level in the Galtres Stakes at York last time out.

Jessica Harrington’s Forbearance was the winner of the aforementioned contest and will cross paths with runner-up Domino Darling (William Haggas) and third-placed Glenartney (Ed Walker) once again.

Forbearance triumphing in the Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes at York (Nigel French/PA)

Haggas has a second entrant in the race in the shape of the incredibly consistent Sea La Rosa, who takes a step up in grade having either won or finished second in each of her five starts this term.

In equally good form is Henry Candy’s By Starlight, another runner who has not been out of the top two in recent outings but will be experiencing Group company for the first time on the Rowley Mile.

Hugo Palmer’s Park Hill Stakes runner-up Golden Pass and Roger Varian’s Lancashire Oaks second Lady Hayes complete the field of 11.