Silver Lady proves a big hit at Newmarket

Appleby filly shows all the right moves to reward favourite-backers.

Charlie Appleby raised the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot as a potential summer target for Silver Lady after the newcomer lived up to her billing on day two of the Craven meeting at Newmarket.

The three-year-old is bred to be smart as a daughter of Sea The Stars out of Group One-winning mare Lumiere, and the Newmarket dogs were barking her name in the hours leading up to her Rowley Mile debut, with strong support seeing her go off the even-money favourite for the bet365 European Breeders’ Fund Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

The result was never really in any doubt, with Silver Lady overcoming brief signs of greenness racing out of the dip to put the race to bed within a few strides – eventually passing the post with just under four lengths in hand over Never Ending in the hands of William Buick.

It is a measure of the regard in which the winner is held that Appleby briefly flirted with the idea of supplementing her for the Qipco 1000 Guineas, but she appears more likely to take a less adventurous next step on her way to the showpiece summer meeting in Berkshire.

“She’s done some nice home work, she’s got a great pedigree and at the end of the day she was touted,” said the Moulton Paddocks handler.

“She hasn’t got any lofty entries and isn’t in the Guineas. We’ll go back and review whether she’s a filly we’d contemplate supplementing, or whether we take baby steps and bring her on towards something like the Coronation Stakes.

“We’ve got a filly in the Guineas in Dream Of Love who I feel is a realistic filly to be running there and this filly might just want time. Speaking to William, the Guineas might come a bit too soon.

“She’s had a lovely experience here today. I don’t think she’s an Oaks filly as she’s got too much pace for that. She’s from a family with huge talent and if we mind her hopefully she’ll repay us.”

Persian Dreamer leads the way at Newmarket
Persian Dreamer leads the way at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

Dominic Ffrench Davis is excited to see how far Persian Dreamer can climb the ladder following a similarly sparkling debut in the bet365 British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

The Lambourn-based trainer is in charge of an exciting squad for Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing operation and Persian Dreamer appears to be towards the top of the juvenile pecking order.

A EURO 145,000 purchase as a yearling, the daughter of Calyx was an 11-4 shot for her racecourse debut in the bet365 British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes and looked every inch a Royal Ascot contender as she powered three and a quarter lengths clear of fellow newcomer Dorothy Lawrence under Kevin Stott.

Amo Racing were completing a double on the afternoon after Mammas Girl confirmed herself a major 1000 Guineas contender with victory in the preceding Nell Gwyn Stakes and Ffrench Davis is hopeful his filly can go on to scale similar heights.

He said: “She’s a nice, quality filly who has always shown a bit of class at home and Kevin came down and rode her work and loved her.

“That (Royal Ascot) would have to be the target, she’s an exciting one for the future and she has got that bit of class – she’s not just an out-and-out five-furlong early two-year-old.

“We’ll see how she comes out this and how she progresses from the race before any decisions are made, but she’s definitely right up there. Certainly of the two-year-old fillies, she’s the best.

“It’s exciting for Kia. He’s just won a Guineas trial and he’s also got a filly who might be here this time next year.”

Ffrench Davis also has the Royal meeting in mind for Surely Not (9-1), who had earlier provided him with his very first winner on the Rowley Mile in the the Connaught Access Flooring Handicap, with Hollie Doyle the winning rider.

Surely Not and Hollie Doyle winning the opening race at Newmarket
Surely Not and Hollie Doyle winning the opening race at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

“Perhaps they went off a bit quick and our plan was always to drop in,” said the trainer.

“He was unlucky not to win a good nursery at Goodwood last year, then he won at Newbury for Hollie and I ran him once too often on heavy ground at York at the end of the season.

“He got a little above himself, so we picked his pockets (gelded him) over the winter and it’s really settled him down and made a man of him.

“We’d have to think about Royal Ascot if we’re good enough to go there, but we may have to have another run in between, depending on what the handicapper does.”

Orazio finished with gusto to claim the Weatherbys Digital Solutions Handicap for Charlie Hills.

The grey son of Caravaggio was sidelined for 17 months following a promising juvenile campaign in 2021 and having blown away any cobwebs with a comeback run at Kempton in January, he was sent off at 9-1 for his return to the grass.

As is usually the case, Buick timed his challenge to perfection, deliver Orazio with withering late run to get up and beat 4-1 joint-favourite Probe by a length.

“He obviously missed the whole of last season, so it was always the plan to give him a run during the winter to try and get the freshness out of him and then bring him back for the turf,” said Hills.

“He was placed in the Rose Bowl as a two-year-old and was well fancied for the Gimcrack. Obviously he went wrong between then and now – he had a setback that needed a bit of time.

“I’d like to work back from the Wokingham at Royal Ascot.”

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