Mammas Girl motors to deeply impressive Neill Gwyn success

Next stop the 1000 Guineas for flying Amo-owned filly.

Mammas Girl added her name to the Qipco 1000 Guineas picture with a blistering display in the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket.

Owned by Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing and trained by Richard Hannon, she was an impressive winner of a course-and-distance maiden at the end of last season, but sent off 16-1 for this seven-furlong Group Three event.

However, despite her outsider status, the performance she produced was straight out of the top drawer.

Sean Levey was in no rush in the early stages as he kept the daughter of Havana Grey anchored in rear.

But the duo slowly crept their way into a position to pounce and once Levey asked his mount for maximum effort there was no filly flying home quicker – advertising her electric turn of foot to shoot two and three-quarter lengths clear of Charlie Appleby’s Fairy Cross at the line.

Her price was slashed for the Guineas in the aftermath, with both Paddy Power and Betfair going 8-1 from 50s then further knocked down to 6-1 for the opening fillies’ Classic of the new campaign. And Hannon confirmed a return to the Rowley Mile would come next.

He said: “She won very well here first time, but even so I was slightly worried about the track.

Mammas Girl ridden by jockey Sean Levey on their way to winning the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes on day two of the bet365 Craven Meeting at Newmarket Racecourse
Mammas Girl ridden by jockey Sean Levey on their way to winning the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes on day two of the bet365 Craven Meeting at Newmarket Racecourse (Tim Goode/PA)

“She’s very straightforward. She missed the gate today, which I was surprised at, but she’s won extremely well.

“She’s worked very well all spring and I thought she’d run very well today, although I must admit she’s surprised me slightly in the way she’s won.

“What I like about her is she’s gone slightly under the radar, but we’ve always loved her at home.

“She looks a very good filly, but all my Guineas winners were beaten in trials – Sky Lantern, Night Of Thunder and Billesdon Brook. Hopefully she bucks the trend as she’ll be coming back here, for sure.”

Joorabchian added: “It’s amazing – I can’t hold my excitement, to be honest.

“It’s very, very exciting winning a Nell Gwyn here. We’ve competed for the last few years and haven’t quite managed to get through the line.

“She was fantastic today and gave a cracking performance on her debut. We’ve always loved her and we couldn’t believe what price she was today.

“I’ve got a really big weekend (first weekend in May) as I’ve got Affirmative Lady in America and she’s going for the Kentucky Oaks, having won the Gulfstream Oaks quote convincingly.

“That means I’ve got to decide whether to go there or come here, but it’s a good decision to have to make.”

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