Newmarket: Sky Lantern facing three in Falmouth Stakes

Sky Lantern, winner of the English 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes in recent months, will have just three rivals when she makes her first start against older fillies and mares in Friday’s Group 1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket, England.

Trained by Richard Hannon for Ben Keswick, Sky Lantern will be ridden by leading rider Richard Hughes in the $253,000 Falmouth Stakes. Hughes, who led British riders in wins in 2012, was aboard Sky Lantern for her victories in the English 1000 Guineas on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course on May 5 and the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 21.

In the Coronation Stakes, over a mile on a right-handed, one-turn course, Sky Lantern overcame a wide draw from post 16 in a field of 17 to win by four lengths over 33-1 Kenhope.

The win has made Sky Lantern the even-money favorite in the Falmouth Stakes, which is run over a straight mile on Newmarket’s July course.

The competition includes defending champion Giofra, who has started against males twice this year, finishing third in the $5 million Dubai Duty Free at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai in March and fourth in the Prix Ganay at Longchamp in Paris on April 28.

Trainer John Gosden starts Elusive Kate, who was second in the 2012 Falmouth and later won the Group 1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville, France, last summer. Elusive Kate was fourth behind Declaration of War in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 18.

The outsider in the field is Purr Along, who was eighth in the Coronation Stakes last month.