Europe: Musical Times brings undefeated mark into Fillies' Mile at Newmarket

When she does not lead, she races near the front with devastating effect.

No one has beaten the versatile Musical Times in three starts in the Britain this year, which is why she will be an odds-on favorite to win her Group 1 debut in Friday’s $661,000 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket.

Trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin Racing, Musical Times is favored on the strength of comfortable win by 7 1/2 lengths at a mile in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse on Sept. 10.

Musical Times was always near the front. She took the lead with more than a furlong remaining before pulling away from 10 rivals.

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“Watching the race, she travelled supremely well and the most exciting aspect was the way she picked up,” Appleby told Godolphin.com. “They have gone a nice even gallop as well, so you cannot say it was a stop-start race.”

The Fillies Mile is expected to be the final start of the year for Musical Times, who is by Lope de Vega and was bred by Godolphin.

The most significant difference between a mile at Doncaster and a mile at Newmarket is course undulations. Doncaster is flat, while Newmarket has a stamina-testing rise to the finish.

A win on Friday would strengthen Musical Twist’s position at the fore of the British 2-year-old filly division, and in the future-book pool for the Group 1 English 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 2.

“If you can win that race before heading into the winter, it gives you a lot of confidence to target the 1000 Guineas in the spring,” Appleby said of the Fillies’ Mile.

Musical Times will be ridden by her regular jockey, William Buick. She is not the only undefeated filly in a field of eight in the Fillies’ Mile.

Forbidden Fire and Lex Victoria are perfect after two starts, while Rogue Passion, who will be the second choice, has won her last two starts.

Rogue Passion won her stakes debut in the Group 2 Prix d’Aumale at a mile at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on Sept. 6. Rogue Passion finished a neck in front of Amusingly, who came back to beat males in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp on Sunday.

Forbidden Fire will start at a mile for the first time on Friday after a win by a head in the minor Flying Scotsman Stakes at seven furlongs at Doncaster on Sept. 11.

Lex Victoria has her stakes debut in the Fillies’ Mile. She won a maiden race at seven furlongs at Newmarket in July, and a seven-furlong allowance race by four lengths on the all-weather track at Kempton Park on Sept. 9.

In both wins, Lex Victoria set the pace. If she does so again in the Fillies’ Mile, she will have Musical Times in close proximity.

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