Midnight strikes Trophy gold at Beverley

Westwood winner heading to Royal Ascot next.

Midnight Affair is Royal Ascot bound after a neat performance in the Hilary Needler Trophy Fillies’ Conditions Stakes at Beverley.

The Richard Fahey-trained bay was denied a clear passage on her debut at Newmarket in May, but still ran with promise and was highly fancied on the Westwood as a result.

Starting as the 5-6 favourite under Danny Tudhope, she made light work of the five-furlong event and was not stretched in crossing the line a length and a quarter ahead of Andrew Balding’s Flora Of Bermuda.

Royal Ascot is next on the agenda, with owner Steve Parkin of Clipper Logistics aiming for the Queen Mary Stakes to retain the trophy Dramatised landed for him 12 months ago.

He said: “Richard has been saying he likes her a lot and she’s done that really well there. He says that he can’t get her off the bridle at home and she gets all the others off the bridle.

“She must be quite good and it’s lovely to see her do that on the track.

“We’ll go for a crack at the Queen Mary now as it’s a race we haven’t done too badly in!

“I won that with Dramatised last year and we hope she can develop into another really nice filly like her.”

Fahey echoed his words, adding: “We do like an her an awful lot at home, she always works really well.

“We feel she’s still learning. The better ones don’t always come off the bridle, but she’s learning and that was a good performance. She’s very uncomplicated, we’re very happy with her.

“Steve’s very keen to go for the Queen Mary and that’s where we’ll aim with her. He won it last year, it’s his race now!”

Paddy Power make Midnight Affair an 8-1 chance from 11s for the Queen Mary.

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