Tiffany team considering quick Lancashire Oaks return

Elite Racing’s Dan Downie: ‘I wouldn’t say it is the plan but it is definitely an option.’

Connections have left options open for star mare Tiffany after she claimed her first Pattern victory at Newcastle last Friday, with this Saturday’s Lancashire Oaks one potential target.

The Sir Mark Prescott-trained four-year-old secured the biggest win of her nine-race career in the Hoppings Fillies’ Stakes, where she hit the front inside the final two furlongs before finishing two and a half lengths clear of Karl Burke’s Darnation.

Tiffany is bred and owned by Elite Racing Club and it was their first success at this level since Judicial in the Chipchase Stakes, also at Gosforth Park, four years and a day earlier.

The Group Three triumph also saw the daughter of Farhh continue her rapid ascent since finishing eighth of 13 runners on debut in a minor novice event at Southwell in December 2022.

She did not get in the winner’s enclosure until her third career start at Wolverhampton but has been beaten only once in her six subsequent outings, which have included German Listed wins in Hanover and Baden-Baden.

Tiffany is slated for the Group Two bet365 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock, although Elite Racing Club manager Dan Downie admitted a final decision on her entry will be made in the “next few days”.

Future possible appointments in this month’s Al Shira’aa Racing Meadow Court Stakes at the Curragh, the Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and York’s Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks – both in August – could also be on the agenda.

“She seems fine. I spoke to Sir Mark the day after (the victory at Newcastle), she’s absolutely fine. We’ll see how she is in the next few days,” said Downie.

“I wouldn’t say it is the plan but it is definitely an option (going to the Lancashire Oaks). See how she is in the next couple of days, it was a race we thought about before the Hoppings, so that’s why she’s got the entry, but we will keep an eye on it and see how she is.

“She deserves a crack in a big race and I don’t think we are in a rush. She will tell us when she is ready to step up, so I couldn’t give you an exact route that we will be taking, but we certainly will be guided by her.

“We’ve had Listed, but not Group since Judicial. We’ve been incredibly lucky with homebreds to be honest, she’s the third filly to have got to this level. We don’t know how good she might end up, but very proud and excited.

“I would not be surprised at all, obviously she has entries in Group One races, so I would imagine she would have a crack at a Group One before the end of the year.”

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