Maw Lam ready to confirm Queen Mary promise at Newmarket

Chris Phillips
July 8, 2024 1:19 pm

Filly defied huge odds to be placed at Royal Ascot.

Adrian Nicholls is confident Maw Law can handle the step up in trip in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

The daughter of Acclamation was a creditable third behind Leovanni at 50-1 in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot over five furlongs and she is all set to tackle six furlongs for the first time at HQ.

Maw Lam launched her juvenile career with victory in May at Thirsk despite a sluggish start and she was again slowly away in the Hilary Needler at Beverley but she led into the final stages before being headed by Perfect Part.

She then stepped up to Group Two company at the Royal meeting when again her tendency to break slowly was evident but she still ran a big race to get some black type alongside her name.

And now she will try her luck over a longer distance at Newmarket.

Nicholls said: “It’s looking like she’ll take her chance (in the Duchess of Cambridge). Obviously nothing will be fully decided until Wednesday morning but she’s in there and I’m hoping she’ll go there.

“She’s come out of Ascot very well. Obviously we’re stepping up in trip but she was doing her strongest work going through the line it looked at Ascot.

“I think the six will be no problem to her. If for whatever reason she doesn’t stay we’ve always got the option to come back but it looks like the right opportunity to see. I think the trip should be fine.”

The Lowther Stakes during the Ebor Festival is also a target, while she also holds entries in valuable sales races at York and Doncaster later in the season.

Nicholls added: “Obviously she’s is in the sales races. She’ll get a Lowther entry and then obviously I’ll have to discuss it with (owner) Chris Hirst and see how we get on.

“The sales races are worth a lot of money and there is the lure of black type but obviously you need to be placed to get it.

“That’s his (Hirst’s) long-term plan. He’s already got some already but you want to try and get as much as you can on the way as you go.”