Dubai Duty Free Stakes(registered As The Fred Darling Stakes) |
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| Group 3, Newbury 13:25 £95,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 7f, Class 1  |
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1 Sukanya 16/1
2
Touleen 5/4F
3
Domina Ignis 14/1
14 ran NR: Zaravina Distances: ¾l, 1¼l, nk
Time: 1m 24.82s (slow by 2.02s)
Another big Saturday winner for the @ChannonRacing team!
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 18, 2026
Sukanya (16/1) takes out the Dubai Duty Free Stakes under @davidprobert9... pic.twitter.com/irq0W5WKb0
Sukanya delivered a telling late surge, cutting down the well-fancied Touleen and, in the process, reshaping the early 1000 Guineas narrative.
Jack Channon’s filly had shown useful form at two, notably when fourth in the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood and runner-up in Listed company at Leopardstown, but her limitations appeared exposed when she trailed home in the Rockfel on her final start of last season.
Sent off at 16-1, she was anchored at the rear by David Probert, a position that left her with plenty to do as the race developed. Ahead of her, Touleen, heavily backed into 5-4 favouritism, travelled smoothly and moved into the lead at the furlong pole under Saffie Osborne, shaping as though she would justify market confidence.
However, Sukanya had gathered momentum by that stage and, once produced, quickened decisively to reel in the leader and assert close home, ultimately prevailing by three-quarters of a length in a performance that combined patience with a sharp turn of foot.
Channon said: “She’s a very good filly and had a very high level of class last year. My two-year-olds were very backwards last year and she was the obvious standout and put in some very good performances against some very good fillies.
“She was an unlucky fourth behind Precise in the Prestige (at Goodwood) then second to Diamond Necklace at Leopardstown and was just a bit over the top in the Rockfel.
“I’ve told anyone who would listen over the last two weeks that this filly wouldn’t finish outside of the first three and she’s high-class. She’s got a devilish turn of foot and she’s beaten a filly fancied for the Guineas on merit today.
“We’ll campaign her in big races now. We would have to supplement for the 1000 Guineas and before this my thoughts were she wouldn’t handle the dip. She needs top of the ground, but we’ll see and I will discuss with the owners.
“My first reaction is I would like to go for the Irish 1,000 Guineas, but if I have to have my arm twisted, I won’t complain at having a runner at Newmarket.”
For Touleen, defeat was not without mitigation, but it did leave questions to answer ahead of any Classic assignment.
Burrows said: “I have no real excuses, she just didn’t quicken up as I’ve seen at home or as a two-year-old.
“Whether or not she’s just a bit rusty, I don’t know is the honest answer.
“Saffie said she was the last one to pull up and she purposely let her gallop out so I have no worries about going further.
“We’ll see how she is and as long as she comes out of it all right, the Guineas wouldn’t be out of the question. Maybe she is just a little rusty, but she didn’t show the speed you saw the first two times she ran.
“Other than that she did everything else right and I’m perfectly happy other than finishing second.”
As trials go, this offered both clarity and complication, with Sukanya emerging as a filly on the rise and Touleen left to regroup with her Classic aspirations still, just, intact.
Dubai Duty Free Stakes
£95,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 7f, Class 1
14 ran
Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
