Precise romps in Fillies' Mile; unlikely for BC

Jockey Christophe Soumillon knew exactly what he had underneath him in the filly Precise. Riding patiently from the back of a 10-runner field, Soumillon subtly brought Precise into contention with less than three furlongs remaining in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile on Friday at Newmarket, and when Soumillon asked, Precise went off with a bang. Drawing quickly clear, Precise won the straight-course mile at Newmarket by 3 1/4 lengths over longshot Venetian Lace.

Precise was thought going into the race to be a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, but coming out it trainer Aidan O’Brien, who landed his 22nd Group 1 of the year, termed Precise an unlikely runner again this year. Her next major goal, along with that of her stablemate Diamond Necklace, winner this past Sunday of the Prix Marcel-Boussac, is the 1000 Guineas next spring.

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O’Brien still has the presumptive Juvenile Fillies Turf favorite in True Love, who in her most recent outing won the Group 1 Cheveley Park over six furlongs, the same race the O’Brien-trained Lake Victoria used as a springboard to victory in the 2024 Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Heavily favored Precise made short work of the Fillies' Mile while the only other two horses with single-digit win odds, Legacy Link and Dance to the Music, finished, respectively, fourth and seventh. Lightly raced Legacy Link showed at least a little something, rallying back mildly to come close to third after being unable to accelerate with the winner a furlong out. Dance to the Music, a Godolphin filly trained by Charlie Appleby, finished fourth in the Natalma Stakes at Woodbine and coming into the Fillies' Mile, at least, remained a possible Juvenile Fillies Turf runner.

Precise, by Starspangledbanner out of Way To My Heart, by Galileo, lost her debut but has since won four in a row. She was just third choice in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, her Group 1 debut, but won that race in Ireland before capping her season in the Fillies' Mile.

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