Miaharris shooting for Listed honours in St Hugh’s heat

Nick Robson
August 17, 2023 1:38 pm

Once-raced filly takes leap in class for Owen Burrows.

Miaharris is looking to build on an impressive debut success when she steps up to Listed company for Owen Burrows in the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing St Hugh’s Stakes at Newbury on Friday.

Having cost EURO 60,000 as a yearling, her sales price rose sharply after an impressive breeze and was purchased for 210,000 guineas by Ted Durcan on behalf of owner Olly Harris.

The Zoustar filly could not have made a much more impressive start to life than the one she had at Sandown, winning by over three lengths, but Burrows is well aware this will be a much tougher ask.

“It was a very professional performance at Sandown, but obviously we are jumping up a little bit,” he said.

“We felt she put in such a nice performance that we weren’t afraid to try it. She obviously lacks experience but she’s a breeze-up filly so she does have that under her belt as such, so we’re looking forward to running her.

“She wasn’t stopping at Sandown so she could step up to six furlongs at some stage, but I just felt that timing-wise this was a nice race. The nice thing is I’m sure she will get six, so that obviously gives you more options whether this year or next year.

“We’ll see how she gets on in this and make a bit of a plan after that.”

The only other unbeaten filly in the race is the Alice Haynes-trained Majestic Beauty, who won at Catterick in May and returned following 88 days off to win at Hamilton last week.

“She’s obviously come out of the race last week well and it was a nice performance up there under a penalty,” said Tom Pennington, racing manager for owners Amo Racing.

“She’s a tough, straightforward filly and that is why we are going to Newbury, in the hope that she can pick up some black type.

“She had a break after her debut but it was just to give her time – we were in no real rush with her, just to help her mature and develop and it paid off at Musselburgh. Hopefully our patience will be rewarded with some black type.

“It is a quick five furlongs at Musselburgh, but I think she’d get six in time.”

Other notable runners include Eve Johnson Houghton’s Juniper Berries, William Haggas’ Indispensable and the Karl Burke-trained duo of Lady Pink Rose and Dorothy Lawrence.