Fillies Mile - Ascot 230906

[Hwjb]

The Fillies' Mile is the first Group 1 contest for juvenile fillies' in Britain and recent contests have had mixed fortunes regarding producing Group 1 winners at three. Last year's renewal run at Newmarket has certainly worked out well in that regard, Nannina, who beat Alexandrova a short head winning the Coronation Stakes at the Royal meeting whilst the runner-up completed the Oaks treble encompassing the Epsom, Irish and Yorkshire versions. Nannina's route to the Fillies' Mile is a tried and trusted method, successful in the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood on her previous start, a route also taken by 2001 victor Gossamer.

Bidding to improve upon that record is Marco Botti's Sesmen, unbeaten in all her three outings to date, and supplemented for this contest at a cost of twenty thousand pounds. Botti is in his first season as a licensed trainer having gained his experience as pupil assistant to both Luca Cumani and Ed Dunlop, whilst he also bred for success as a trainer as his father and uncle Alduino and Giuseppe have won over thirty trainers' championships in Italy. Sesmen's form has progressed with each start, beating Laureldean Express by a short head in a seven-furlong maiden at Kempton on her debut. She was relatively unfancied in a well-contested minor event at Nottingham next time, but confirmed her stamina for this trip, despite being only the fourth choice of five in the betting, making most of the running to impressively pull clear of Five A Side by three and a half lengths. She progressed again in the Prestige at Goodwood, going to the front a furlong out without her rider having to ask for maximum pressure and was value for further than the official margin of a neck from Bicoastal, idling as that rival merely closed up late.

Sesmen had Cumin back in third that day whilst Princess Taise, who had got unsettled in the paddock, ran well below form to finish last. Cumin needed four attempts to get off the mark but routed her field when she did so, beating Perfect Style by seven lengths in a good time at Goodwood. She was a strong favourite when she returned to that track for the Prestige but wasn't quite at her best in being beaten a length and three quarters, possibly going a little too quick along with Princess Taise after they took each other on for the lead. Princess Taise had gone to post as the second favourite having shown herself to be useful on her first two starts, making a successful debut in a Newmarket maiden by half a length from Cast In Gold then showing improvement to finish second to English Ballet in the Sweet Solera Stakes there next time. Princess Taise is a strong- galloping type that looks sure to prove well suited by the step up in trip, as she'll need to be to reverse the length beating she received that day if she's to reverse placings with English Ballet.

English Ballet ran in the other race that has proved a sound pointer to this in previous seasons, the May Hill Stakes. The winner of that race completed the double in 1999 (Teggiano) and 2004 (Playful Act). Jeremy Noseda's Simply Perfect is likely to bid to uphold that record having beaten English Ballet by a length and a quarter on their last outing. Whether she'll be able to confirm that form is open to question as she received 3 lb from English Ballet that day, yet on revised terms they are weighted to finish upsides. Sans Reward and Sudoor finished third and fifth respectively in the May Hill and it is hard to see them reversing placings with the first two, Sans Reward essentially having every chance after making the running whilst Sudoor gave the impression she didn't get home, finding little for pressure having looked as likely a winner as anything two furlongs out. She'd earlier made a good impression to win her first two starts over seven furlongs, impressing with her turn of foot when winning a listed race at Sandown on the second of those.

Along with Sesmen, Alexander Tango has been supplemented at the five-day stage. She has progressed with each start, winning her maiden at the Curragh, then finished a very-close third to Gaudeamus in the Debutante Stakes at Leopardstown prior to her best effort when beaten just over a length when fifth to Miss Beatrix in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh. That day she had Simply Perfect a length further back and neither of them were able to show their full merit in all likelihood considering the way the race was run, Simply Perfect short of room inside the final furlong whilst Alexander Tango took a while to settle.

The rest of the entries look to face quite a stiff task judged on their form to date, but judging by their pedigrees and connections of some of them, it would be wise not to underestimate them should they take their chance. Theann and Nell Gwyn could represent Aidan O'Brien. Theann is the third foal King's Stand winner Cassandra Go and cost 400,000 euros as a yearling. She was beaten a neck by Arch Swing in a maiden at the Curragh on her latest start, form which looks all the better after that rival won the Group 3 Park Stakes there on her next start when she had Nell Gwyn back in eighth. Nell Gwyn is a full-sister to top-class miler Rock of Gibraltar but her form so far remains a long way short of what he was capable of, though her run in the Park Stakes is probably best ignored as she was badly hampered over a furlong out. Another possible to represent Coolmore, albeit from the David Wachman stable is the very well bred You're Beautiful. She's a half-sister to the top-class dual Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow and got off the mark in impressive fashion in a Tipperary maiden last time.

Sir Michael Stoute won this in 2003 with Red Bloom and with his juveniles yet to find full stride it's not a huge surprise that he doesn't seem to have an outstanding contender. His sole entry is Lost In Wonder who won the second of her two starts when beating La Spezia in a maiden at Beverley last time. That form as it stands is nowhere near good enough to see her on the premises in this, though it's worth noting that Speciosa developed into one of the best of her generation after winning the same contest.

Sander Camillo apart, no juvenile filly has yet stamped her authority on the division so unsurprisingly this looks quite an open contest, the May Hill form suggesting there isn't much between the principals from that contest. The same can be said to a certain extent about the Prestige form, but the bare margin of victory doesn't do Sesmen justice. She is selected to maintain her unbeaten record and cap a fine first season for her trainer.

[Hwjb]

A smaller field than one may have imagined, with eight going to post, and much of the above now redundant!


SESMEN 120 p
SIMPLY PERFECT 118 +
ENGLISH BALLET (IRE) 118
ALEXANDER TANGO (IRE) 117
GAUDEAMUS (USA) 111
SATULAGI (USA) 108
TREAT 102 p
LOST IN WONDER (USA) 96 p

[gallant bloom]

she was
simply perfect.