Betfred May Hill Stakes |
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| Group 2, Doncaster 15:00 £120,000 guaranteed, 2yo fillies only, 1m, Class 1  |
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1 Desert Flower EvsF
2 January 100/30
3 Flight 17/2
9 ran NR: Biniorella Bay Distances: 1½l, ¾l, ½l
Time: 1m 37.47s (slow by 1.07s)
Very impressive!
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 12, 2024
Desert Flower makes it three from three, showcasing an electric turn of foot to land the @Betfred May Hill Stakes at @DoncasterRaces for @WilliamBuickX and @godolphin... pic.twitter.com/vvTeK9h4ge
Trained by Charlie Appleby, Desert Flower had already secured two victories at Newmarket before stepping up to Group Two level. Two furlongs out, she appeared to be in trouble as Ollie Sangster’s Flight took the lead effortlessly, while William Buick urged the favourite forward.
However, Desert Flower soon shifted gears and asserted her dominance, winning by a length and a half over Aidan O’Brien’s January, with Flight falling back to third. Coral adjusted her odds for next season’s 1000 Guineas to 12-1 from 16-1, and Paddy Power shortened her odds for the Fillies’ Mile to 4-1 from 6-1.
Buick commented, “That was very pleasing. She’s done everything right so far and she’s a nice, big filly with plenty of scope for next year. I was always happy with her, and she handled the ground well. She just had a look when she got to the front, which is understandable for an inexperienced two-year-old. I was delighted with her. She came into the race very easily, which is a sign of a quality horse, and she confirmed what she showed us at home and in her first two starts.”
Appleby’s assistant, Alex Merriam, added, “We’ll take that. Will was very pleased with her. She travelled nicely through the race and was professional. She had a little look when she hit the front, but she saw it out well, and we couldn’t ask for more. Will said he didn’t think the ground matters too much either way. She handles different sorts of ground, and fingers crossed we can go to the Fillies’ Mile now. She showed that turn of foot at Newmarket, but you never know what you’ve got until you take on the good races. She’s done it nicely and deserves a shot at a Group One now. She’s not a flashy work horse, but she’s always done everything nicely. We’ll go for the Fillies’ Mile and see where we go from there. She’s a big, scopey filly, so hopefully she’ll keep improving. I’d say she’s our best two-year-old filly anyway.”
Betfred May Hill Stakes
(Fillies' Group 2) (Str)
£120,000 guaranteed, 2yo only, 1m, Class 1
9 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places
1 (3) Desert Flower 2 9-2 Charlie Appleby William Buick EvsF
2 (5) 1½ January 2 9-2 A P O'Brien Sean Levey 100/30
3 (2) ¾ Flight 2 9-2 Ollie Sangster Oisin Murphy 17/2
4 (4) ½ Miss Tonnerre 2 9-2 Ed Walker Tom Marquand 22/1
5 (6) 1½ Ecstatic 2 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 13/2
6 (1) 3½ Anshoda 2 9-2 David Loughnane Billy Loughnane 14/1
7 (7) nse Serving With Style 2 9-2 K R Burke Shane Gray 80/1
8 (10) 4¼ Manila Thriller 2 9-2 Jack Channon Silvestre De Sousa 200/1
9 (9) 1½ Elsie's Ruan 2 9-2 Gemma Tutty Connor Beasley 25/1
NR 2 (8) Biniorella Bay 2 9-2 Tom Clover NON RUNNER
RECENT WINNERS
Year Horse Trainer Jockey Owner SP
2023 Darnation
2022 Polly Pott
2021 Inspiral
2020 Indigo Girl
2019 Powerful Breeze
2018 Fleeting
2017 Laurens
2016 Rich Legacy R M Beckett Oisin Murphy Qatar Racing Limited 3/1
2015 Turret Rocks Jim Bolger Kevin Manning Mrs June Judd 7/2
2014 Agnes Stewart E Lynam W J Lee Clipper Logistics Group Ltd 11/4
2013 Ihtimal Saeed bin Suroor S De Sousa Godolphin 11/10 fav
2012 Certify Mahmood Al Zarooni Mickael Barzalona Godolphin 4/6 fav
2011 Lyric Of Light Mahmood Al Zarooni Frankie Dettori Godolphin 9/1
2010 White Moonstone Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 8/11 fav
2009 Pollenator Richard Hannon Ryan Moore The Royal Ascot Racing Club 14/1
2008 Rainbow View John Gosden Jimmy Fortune George Strawbridge 1/3 fav
2007 Spacious James Fanshawe Jamie Spencer Cheveley Park Stud 9/4 fav
2006 Simply Perfect Jeremy Noseda Darryll Holland Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, Sue Magnier 4/1
2005 Nasheej Richard Hannon Richard Hughes Malih L Al Basti 4/1
2004 Playful Act John Gosden Jimmy Fortune Sangster Family 8/1
2003 Kinnaird Patrick Haslam Kevin Darley Alastair Dinsmore 9/1
2002 Summitville James Given Michael Fenton Mountain High Partnership 11/2
2001 Half Glance Henry Cecil Richard Quinn Khalid Abdullah 5/2
2000 Karasta Sir Michael Stoute Johnny Murtagh H H Aga Khan 5/4 fav
1999 Teggiano Clive Brittain Frankie Dettori Abdullah Saeed Bul Hab 13/2
