Newmarket: Lyric of Light takes Shadwell Fillies' Mile

Lyric of Light earned an automatic berth for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4, and a low future-book price for the 2012 English 1000 Guineas, after winning Friday’s Group 1 Shadwell Fillies’ Mile for 2-year-olds at Newmarket, England.

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Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Lyric of Light won the Fillies’ Mile by a head over pacesetter Samitar. Sent off as the 2-1 favorite, Lyric of Light overcame a touch of trouble at the start, and rallied from last in a field of eight to reach the front in time. Firdaws, making her stakes debut, finished third.

Lyric of Light, a British-bred by Street Cry, is unbeaten in three starts, having won her stakes debut in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster on Sept. 9. Trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni for the Maktoum family’s Godolphin Racing, Lyric of Light is not a definite for the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. The trainer said the filly’s schedule will be determined by owner Sheikh Mohammed in coming weeks.

“We could look at the Breeders’ Cup,” he said on Godolphin’s website. “We will decide with [Sheikh Mohammed] if she runs again this year.”

Al Zarooni was left delighted with Lyric of Light’s win in the Fillies’ Mile, saying the filly did not like the surface, which was listed as “good to firm.” “Frankie said he felt that she was not particularly happy on the ground, but she is such a good filly that she won the race,” Al Zarooni said.

After the Fillies’ Mile, Lyric of Light was listed as an 8-1 chance for the English 1000 Guineas with the British bookmaking firm Coral. Maybe, unbeaten in five starts and the winner of four stakes, is the current 7-2 favorite for the springtime race.