racing_news/

Lyric Of Light Fantastic in Shadwell Fillies' Mile
23/09/11

1 Lyric Of Light 2/1F
2 Samitar 17/2
3 Firdaws 3/1
NR: Swingland
8 ran Distances: hd, 4½l, hd
TIME 1m 35.98s (slow by 0.48s)

Lyric Of Light and Frankie Dettori gave favourite backers a fright in the Group One Shadwell Fillies Mile but not for nothing does the Italian enjoy a reputation as one of the world’s finest jockeys and he duly notched a sixth victory in the race with a last-gasp thrust.

Lyric Of Light
© Racehorse Photos

With a quarter of a mile to race and the field of seven approaching the famous Rowley Mile dip, the 2/1 market leader was the only contender still on the bridle in the contest, relocated this year to Newmarket from Ascot. But when Dettori asked his mount to close on the game leader Samitar, Lyric Of Light lost momentum with a marked sideways drift.
As the pair flashed past the post, Lyric Of Light held the advantage by a head over the Jamie Spencer-ridden runner-up, giving trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni a first success in the race.

The first two pulled four and a half lengths clear of third placed Firdaws (3/1), with the winner, supplemented for the race at a cost of £15,000, registering a fast time of 1m 35.98s.

Al Zarooni, enjoying a sixth Group One win of 2011 in his second year as a trainer for Godolphin, said: “We will see how she is when we get back home and then sit down with His Highness (Sheikh Mohammed) to see where we go with her. Options are open for this filly and we could look at the Breeders’ Cup but we will decide with His Highness if she runs again this year.

“If you notice, I still think she did not like the ground. Frankie said he felt that she was not particularly happy on the ground but she is such a good filly she won the race. We have been lucky with the fillies this year and we are doing good with her sire, Street Cry.

“This was only the third race of her life. Some horses learn from the first and some take five races to learn so I think she is getting there.

“I don’t like to squeeze and push two-year-old fillies - take time with them and they will come. They will tell you when they are really ready.

“I think, looking at the way she won today, that she will get further but also she wants better ground.”

Dettori had previously landed the Shadwell Fillies’ Mile aboard Shamshir (1990), Glorosia (1997), Teggiano (1999), Crystal Music (2000) and White Moonstone (2010).

The rider commented: ““She is a superstar filly - she only does what she has to do. I don’t think that the track would have suited her, with the firm ground, because she is such a tall filly but she has done it well to win.

“She is a bit green and she idles in front, so I used William (Buick, rider of Fallen For You) as a target, but when he died I went after Jamie. When I asked her to quicken going down into the dip, she got unbalanced so it took me a lot longer to get him than I expected. Once I met the rising ground I passed him and I was fine.

“The same again, when I hit the front she was happy to stay with the other filly. The thing is, when you ask her to pick one up she picks it up but once she passes she thinks, job done.

“I don’t think she minds the quick ground but for a young filly, running down into the dip, it is quite unbalancing. The pace was honest and we quickened from three out. It was a fast time. She has a lot of quality and I really like her, she’s nice.”

“My filly in the first race broke down and I gave Michael Hills too much rope on Poet’s Voice but it’s third time lucky in the biggest race of the day.

“I had a good idea that my head was in front at the line but you never know until they shout your number!”

Position	Horse Trainer	Jockey Weight	Starting Price Beaten Distance
1	Lyric Of Light M Al Zarooni	L Dettori 8st 12lbs	2 - 1 Winner
2	Samitar M R Channon	J P Spencer 8st 12lbs	17 - 2 Head
3	Firdaws R Varian	R Hills 8st 12lbs	3 - 1 4 1/2 lengths
4	Salford Art D R C Elsworth	Dane O'Neill 8st 12lbs	20 - 1 Head
5	Fallen For You J H M Gosden	William Buick 8st 12lbs	3 - 1 3/4 length
6	Devotion A P O'Brien	C O'Donoghue 8st 12lbs	25 - 1 1 1/2 length
7	Semayyel C E Brittain	K Fallon 8st 12lbs	20 - 1 1 3/4 length
8	Albamara Sir Mark Prescott	S Sanders 8st 12lbs	14 - 1 1/2 length
NonRunner	Swingland P F I Cole	Non Runner 8st 12lbs	-

SO NEAR FOR SAMITAR

Samitar lost out by a head in a photo with Lyric Of Light for the Group One Shadwell Fillies’ Mile.

“I’m chuffed with the filly. She has been on the go all year and I thought she’d won, something must be wrong with my eyes!” said the runner-up’s trainer Mick Channon. “Our plan was to ride her a bit differently after her last run and it seemed to work.”

Trainer Roger Varian was delighted with the effort of Firdaws, a daughter of 2005 Oaks heroine Eswarah, who finished third.

“I’m really pleased. She ran a solid race and stays well,” said Varian. “Richard (Hills) said she has hit a flat spot in all three of her runs and it looks like she will be more of a mile and a half than a mile filly next year.

“It’s nice to get a Group 1 place for a filly out of Eswarah, a classic winner for Michael (Jarvis), and we can dream through the winter. She’s not given us any reason so far to think she might not be an Oaks filly and that would probably be the target next spring and we’ll see how we go.”