Hot on the heels of Arc weekend, the Group 1 contests keep on rolling off the late-season conveyor belt. Next week, the focus switches to Newmarket for the top-class Future Champions fixture, lit up by the Group 1 duo of the bet365 Fillies’ Mile and Darley Dewhurst Stakes.
In the case of the signature events, that “Future Champions” label has proved fitting. Focussing on the Fillies’ Mile, the 21st century roll of honour features the following stars who went on to cement their class with big wins in their three-year-old campaigns:
- Gossamer (2001) – Irish 1000 Guineas
- Nannina(2005) – Coronation Stakes
- Simply Perfect (2006) – Falmouth Stakes
- Hibaayeb (2009) – Ribblesdale Stakes
- Minding (2015) – 1000 Guineas, Epsom Oaks, Pretty Polly Stakes, Nassau Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
- Rhododendron (2016) – Prix de l’Opera
- Laurens (2017) – Prix de Diane, Matron Stakes, Sun Chariot Stakes
- Iridessa (2018) – Pretty Polly Stakes, Matron Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
- Inspiral (2021) – Coronation Stakes, Prix Jacques Le Marois
Latest Edition Set to be a Thriller
That’s quite the cast of star performers, suggesting the £500,000 event is well worth watching with an eye to the future. Whether anything of the calibre of a Minding or Inspiral emerges from the latest edition remains to be seen, but in the week leading up to the event, the list of entries is brimming with promise.
When looking ahead to any Group 1 juvenile event, the eye is inevitably drawn to those runners with an unbeaten record. Until a horse tastes defeat, the dream lives on that connections may have a bona fide superstar on their hands. Ahead of this year’s event – taking place on Friday the 11th of October – those who favour a string of 1s beside the name of their betting selection face a choice between five promising fillies. As they say in the boxing ring, “Someone’s O has got to go”
Lake Victoria
- Trainer – Aidan O’Brien
- Form Figures – 1111
Currently tied with Sir Henry Cecil and John Gosden, Aidan O’Brien needs just one more win to move out on his own as the most successful trainer in the history of the Fillies’ Mile. In Lake Victoria, he may have the filly to do it. Sired by the sensational Frankel and out of the Group 1 winning mare Quiet Reflection, this filly is certainly bred to be a star and has looked just that in four starts to date.
Bagging a first Group 1 in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, she handled the drop to 6f to grab an emphatic second in the Cheveley Park Stakes. Should she claim a third top-level success over a third distance, she will move further clear at the head of the juvenile fillies’ rankings.
Desert Flower
- Trainer – Charlie Appleby
- Form Figures – 111
Head-to-head clashes between the Coolmore and Godolphin juggernauts have lit up the racing scene for many a year, and if the leading contenders stand their ground, we may be in for another instalment at HQ.
Flying the flag for the girls in blue is this daughter of 2000 Guineas hero Night Of Thunder, who is rapidly emerging as a sire to follow. Unlike Lake Victoria, Desert Flower has yet to dip her toe into Group 1 waters but has done nothing to suggest she won’t be up to the task. Making a mockery of the opposition in Maiden and Novice events on the July Course, she slammed the O’Brien-trained January over this trip in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes last time.
Dreamy
- Trainer – Aidan O’Brien
- Form Figures – 11
Coolmore source only the best stallions to pair with their vast squadron of Galileo mares and, in the case of Dreamy, turned to the US Triple Crown hero American Pharoah. Overcoming greenness to get up close home on debut, she took a big step forward to comfortably land the Group 3 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes at the Curragh in August. Still looking a little rough around the edges that day, there may be much more to come from this imposing physical specimen.
Tabiti
- Trainer – Ralph Beckett
- Form Figures – 11
Considering his well-earned reputation as a fine trainer of the fairer sex, it is surprising to learn that the Fillies’ Mile remains absent from Ralph Beckett’s CV. Bidding to put that right in 2024 is this Kingman filly who goes in the famous Juddmonte silks. Showing a liking for this part of the world when winning on debut on the July Course, she looked to be inconvenienced by stepping down to 6f in the Group 3 Dick Poole Fillies Stakes but still got the job done, and should enjoy this 1m trip.
Anna Swan
- Trainer – Sir Michael Stoute
- Form Figures – 11
Our final unbeaten runner lurks amongst the outsiders but may have the qualities to hand her soon-to-be-retired trainer a Group 1 swansong. By Champion Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes hero Almanzor and out of the Group class Dubawi mare Vivionn, Anna Swan looks the part on paper and has so far delivered at the track. Hugely impressive at Class 4 and Class 2 level, this demands significantly more, but this Chevely Park runner is hard to rule out.