Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes |
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| Group 3, Newmarket £95,000 guaranteed, 3yo fillies only, 7f, Class 1  |
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The early-season fillies’ trials rarely lack for narrative, and at Newmarket Racecourse on Wednesday, the Nell Gwyn Stakes offers its customary blend of promise, projection and quiet uncertainty. Run over seven furlongs on the Rowley Mile, it is a race that often reveals as much about temperament as it does about talent.
Among those returning to action is Inis Mor, trained by David Menuisier, a filly whose juvenile form hinted at ability without fully defining its limits. Twice successful on the July Course, she ended her season with a performance of substance at ParisLongchamp Racecourse, finishing second in a race of notable depth on Arc weekend.
Her reappearance, then, carries significance beyond the result itself, serving as a guide not only to her current level but also to her likely destination.
“She is grand, she is a filly that isn’t really in the mood in the morning,” said Menuisier.
“I think the race at ParisLongchamp had good strength in depth, so there is no doubt she has potential. Now it’s her time to write the script.
“She only does what you ask of her in the morning, so it’s really hard to gauge how good she is.
“We will see how she goes on Wednesday and take it step by step. We will have to see what she has to offer, but there is no doubt she’ll need the race.”
If Inis Mor arrives with questions, America Queen brings a more established juvenile profile. Trained by Richard Hughes, she showed high-class form at two, notably when second in the Lowther Stakes before encountering misfortune in the Cheveley Park. Her programme has been adjusted with conditions in mind, a reminder of how fine the margins can be at this stage of the season.
“She’s trained really well, we are really happy with her. We are pretty confident she will get the seven (furlongs),” said Hughes.
“To run to 99 second time out (in the Lowther Stakes) was a huge run and then she ran a blinder and was a little bit unlucky in the Cheveley Park – she didn’t get the best run of the race, but these things happen.
“Plan A was to run at Newbury on Saturday (in the Fred Darling Stakes), but we had a lot of rain at the weekend and it won’t take much to make the ground slow and she needs fast ground, so I had to be on the safe side and run her at Newmarket.”
Act Of Kindness (Siyouni) wins! 😌
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 10, 2025
The 3.7million guineas purchase sheds her maiden tag for team @godolphin 🔵@NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/VFZfB5ahYV
At the head of the market sits Act Of Kindness, from the yard of Charlie Appleby, a filly whose experience of the Rowley Mile may prove an asset. Having progressed from a promising debut to a comfortable course-and-distance success, she arrives with a profile that suggests both readiness and potential.
“Act Of Kindness knows the Rowley Mile well, with her two starts to date coming at the course,” the trainer said.
“She has wintered well and, like a lot of the field, we are dipping our toe into this level to see where we are heading for the first half of the season.”
Elsewhere, the race retains its depth. Mubasimah, runner-up in the Oh So Sharp Stakes for Andrew Balding, adds substance, while Beautify represents Aidan O’Brien, whose record in such trials commands attention. Fitzella, winner of the Princess Margaret Stakes for Hugo Palmer, completes a field that is both competitive and revealing.
The Nell Gwyn, as ever, will not settle the 1000 Guineas picture, but it will begin to shape it. For some, it is a starting point; for others, a statement. For all, it is an examination that offers answers, though rarely all at once.
Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes
(Fillies' Group 3)
£95,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 7f, Class 1
13 entries
Going: Good
