Tag Archive for: Queen Aminatu

Haggas duo hunting Chartwell prize

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Queen Aminatu and Sacred give trainer William Haggas a strong hand in the Fitzdares Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes at Lingfield on Saturday.

Sacred emerged as a Classic contender when winning the Group Three Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket two years ago – and while she came up short in the 1000 Guineas the following month, she has since won the Group Two Hungerford Stakes and a Listed prize at Newbury, both over Saturday’s trip of seven furlongs.

The Cheveley Park Stud-owned mare will be tackling an artificial surface for the first time in public this weekend, though, whereas her stablemate Queen Aminatu is an all-weather regular.

The daughter of Muhaarar has won twice at Lingfield already and also struck gold on All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Newcastle. Her owner-breeder Anthony Oppenheimer is keeping his fingers crossed she can bounce back from a disappointing recent run in a Group Three on turf in Ireland.

“Queen Aminatu got bogged down in Ireland, she couldn’t get her feet out of the ground, it was too deep,” said Oppenheimer.

“I think other horses felt the same, it poured with rain the day before and I think it was rather a non-event.

“The question is, it has only been 12 days since she ran at the Curragh and she’s not a big filly, so maybe that will be a bit much for her.

“It seems worth taking the risk because it is a Group Three and she enjoys the all-weather.

“We will see how she goes, we don’t want her to have a hard race obviously, but I think she will enjoy the surface. I just hope she isn’t too tired from her trip to Ireland.”

White Moonlight winning at Newmarket
White Moonlight winning at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

Andrew Balding saddles dual Group Two winner Sandrine, while Saeed bin Suroor is looking forward to running White Moonlight.

The latter finished second twice in Dubai earlier in the year before failing to land a blow in the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia

“White Moonlight is an improving filly this year and has been working nicely at home,” the trainer told www.godolphin.com.

“She has won on the all-weather before and dropping back to seven furlongs will suit. She is fresh and ready for this, and I’m looking for a good run.”

Candle Of Hope, who carries the colours of the King and Queen, will be an outsider, but trainer Richard Hughes believes she could outrun her odds.

He said: “I needed to get a run into her and we went to Goodwood last week knowing the ground was against her but she needed to have a race.

“I though that was a hell of a run considering I just needed to get a run into her. She had been on the boil for too long waiting for her ground. But she ran above herself, I thought, on ground that would be totally against her.

“Now this has switched to the all-weather, we thought we would give it a go. She probably should have won there first time out this year, she was very unlucky. Going back there I know we’re taking on horses rated higher, but she’s getting plenty of weight and is tough as boots.”

Secret Angel (Karl Burke), Nizaaka (Jane Chapple-Hyam) and Love Interest (David O’Meara) complete the line-up.

Queen Aminatu reigns in Fillies And Mares’ heat

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Queen Aminatu flew home to land a hat-trick in the talkSPORT All-Weather Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle.

William Haggas’ daughter of Muhaarar is unbeaten since being switched back to the all-weather and having struck at both Lingfield and Deauville at the back-end of 2022, she continued her love affair with the synthetics in this £150,000 contest at Gosforth Park.

Held up off the steady pace by Cieren Fallon, the Anthony Oppenheimer-owned four-year-old looked like she could struggle to find a run as the race began to develop. But she turned on the afterburners once she found some daylight and showed a devastating turn of foot to run down Rae Guest’s Aramis Girl and the 11-10 favourite Manaafith inside the final furlong.

It was the master of Somerville Lodge’s second victory in the seven-furlong event following Diagnostic in 2018 and there could be plenty more big days to come for the upwardly-mobile filly, with her jockey indicating a trip to Royal Ascot could be on the agenda.

Fallon said: “We went a nice gallop and I was just waiting for gaps really. She settled nicely and when I clicked the go button – wow – she put it to bed in a matter of strides.

“I was drawn next to Jim (Crowley) which was crucial, so I just wanted to follow him as I felt he was the one to beat on Manaafith. She’s a versatile filly who settles really well and with that turn of foot she has, she puts races to bed in no time.

Queen Aminatu ridden by Cieren Fallon (second left) wins the talkSPORT All-Weather Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle
Queen Aminatu ridden by Cieren Fallon (second left) wins the talkSPORT All-Weather Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle (Richard Sellers/PA)

“I understand she stays in training, she’s improving loads. It’s exciting.

“I rode her work last week and said to the boss I thought she was a Group horse. To win a race like this like that, proves it.

“She’s always going to go and improve for her first run of the year, so with a bit of luck you’d think she can go and win a Group race.

“I think Royal Ascot will be the plan.”