Truthful makes Listed leap in Aphrodite

Simon Milham
July 21, 2023 11:19 am

Haggas steps up with Haydock novice winner.

Truthful will continue her education in Listed company at Newmarket on Saturday with William Haggas content to take things gently with a filly whom he likes “a lot”.

Owned by Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, the three-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars will take on 13 rivals in the Ric And Mary Hambro Aphrodite Fillies’ Stakes over a mile and a half, bidding to remain unbeaten.

She made a belated debut in May when scoring by a head from Mantoog in a 10-furlong novice at Salisbury, before impressively beating previous winner Shagpyle by two and three-quarter lengths when stepped up in an extended one-mile-three-furlong fillies’ novice at Haydock.

With Tom Marquand, who has been on board for both her victories, required for duty at Newbury, where he rides Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes favourite Relief Rally for the Somerville Lodge yard, Cieren Fallon takes over on Truthful.

Haggas said: “She is a work in progress and this is sort of the logical next step for her, and we will see whether she is up to it.

“We like her a lot, we think she’s a good stayer and I hope she will run a good race.”

However, plans are fluid thereafter and while she holds entries in both the Group Two Lillie Langtry at Goodwood and the top-class Yorkshire Oaks, the master conditioner is in no rush to pigeon-hole bigger targets for her.

“There are not really any long-term targets,” he added. “When you are training a filly like that for Highclere, we will go nice and gently and see where we are with her. She can go anywhere if she is up to the task.”

Truthful’s rivals include the highly-tried Novakai from Karl Burke’s yard and the four-year-olds Time Lock and Sound Angela.