Shuwari should find easier going in Fillies' Mile
Shuwari fell too far behind to catch the good filly Carla’s Way in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes last month, but with no Carla’s Way and no new competition of obvious consequence, Shuwari is favored to win the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile, for which the Rockfel was a prep, on Friday at Newmarket.
Shuwari is one of eight entered in the straight-course mile, the last important race of the year in England or Ireland for 2-year-old fillies. The betting market lands on an obvious outcome; Ylang Ylang, third behind Carla’s Way and Shuwari in the Rockfel, is second choice.
Trained by Ollie Sangster, Shuwari, a daughter of New Bay, won her first two races in eye-catching fashion and probably ran to form in the Rockfel. The problem was that Carla’s Way got a big jump on Shuwari, who broke poorly, raced from the rear of the field, and had too much ground to close. Shuwari to date has been a come-from-behind horse, but she need not fall so far off the pace as she did last month.
Ylang Ylang sharply won her first two starts but clunked in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, finishing last of nine. She was better than that in the Rockfel but still soundly beaten by Shuwari, and the gloss that was taken off Ylang Ylang in the Moyglare Stud hasn’t returned.
Classical Song, with a good second in her first start and a better second-start win, stretches out from seven furlongs and dives into Group 1 competition in her stakes debut. Trainer Ralph Beckett is not one to overmatch a young horse, and Classical Song, by Lope de Vega, ought to be ready to improve.
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