German-Thoroughbred.com Sweet Solera Stakes
Group 3, Newmarket 15:45 £50,000 added, 2yo only, 7f, Class 1
Saturday 10th August 2019

1 West End Girl 11/2
2 Soffika 9/2
3 Dark Lady 8/1
8 ran NR: Diamond Sparkles Distances: 1¼l, ½l, 1l
Time: 1m 25.32s (slow by 2.32s)

West End Girl comes out on top in the Group 3 https://t.co/GyqS6TXY0b Sweet Solera Stakes, putting in a good performance to win for Franny Norton and @Johnston_Racing 🙌 pic.twitter.com/9bKIoRVdiz

— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) August 10, 2019

After being denied a clear run during the vital stages of a Listed contest at the Esher track on her previous start, the Mark Johnston-trained West End Girl had no such traffic problems in this Group Three prize.

Racing handily throughout the seven-furlong contest, the 11-2 shot stayed on in tenacious style to win by three-quarters of a length clear from Soffika and give Johnston successive victories in the race after taking it 12 months ago with Main Edition.

Charlie Johnston, son and assistant, said: “On a personal note, we left Sandown quite pleased as Walk In Marrakesh won the race, but I spoke to Michael (Spence, joint owner) after the race and said his filly was the one to take out of the race.

“The way things panned out at Sandown, they went slow in the early part of the race then turned the taps on in the middle part and she got caught flat-footed like she did today, then when she was staying on strongly she just ran out of room. 

“She has now won a Group Three and we always like to take steps up the ladder and I’m sure she will improve going up to a mile and that (May Hill Stakes at Doncaster) is the obvious place to go.”

The victory was also a first at Pattern level for her sire, the 2015 Derby winner Golden Horn.

Johnston added: “It is his first Group winner. We had a nice filly finish third at Goodwood (Tulip Fields) who should be winning next week. 

“We have three more behind those two and they are all late-developing types, but this filly has shown she is above average.”

Sweet Solera Stakes
£50,000 added, 2yo only, 7f, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Good to Firm