Simon Crisford, the Godolphin racing manager, has earmarked White Moonstone for the Fillies' Mile at Ascot in England next month after she maintained her unbeaten record with a convincing success in the German-Thoroughbred.com Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket yesterday. The filly had impressed on her debut 15 days earlier when taking a six-furlong maiden at Ascot. But she stepped up on that effort with a victory over Crying Lightening in the Group 3 contest.
The joint favourite was slowly away and Frankie Dettori, her jockey, was content to bide his time out the back. But the Saeed bin Suroor-trained White Moonstone picked up well when asked, taking over the lead approaching the final furlong and winning by a length and a quarter. "That was a really pleasing effort," Crisford said. "She has always shown a lot of talent at home and is a beautiful to look at. She has tons of class which you could see today. We are hoping she can go all the way to the top. The Fillies' Mile would be big target for her. I think she will have one more run before then and we will step her up to a mile next."
In the six-race Shergar Cup at Ascot yesterday - the international jockeys' challenge which was won by Fran Berry - the horses of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed's had a disappointing day. The much-fancied Capercaillie was third in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup sprint while Jutland was a non-runner in the Shergar Cup Classic, a race in which Godolphin's Fareej finished fourth. But the Crown Prince of Dubai did have two horses who were part of a clean sweep for Mark Johnston, the trainer, in the Shergar Challenge. Emerging Artist, the favourite, and Submariner finished second and third for Sheikh Hamdan behind Yorgunnabelucky, the winner.
"You get the hate mail when you have a one-two-three as everyone assumed we know the result beforehand," said Johnston. "You run one horse in a race when you look for the best opportunity but for horses of this level, there are not the chances for them to race for this kind of prize money, so we ran more than one. The winner was a revelation at Pontefract. As a full-brother to Shamardal we assumed he wanted top of the ground but he appears to be at his best when the ground is easier."
* Agencies
