Musical Times short-priced favourite for G1 Fillies Mile
Musical Times will attempt to enhance her standing as one of the outstanding juveniles of the year in the G1 Fillies’ Mile (1600m) at Newmarket, Great Britain on Friday (9 October).
The Charlie Appleby-trained, Godolphin-owned daughter of Lope De Vega may not be the most imposing two-year-old in the eight-runner field tackling the course’s famous Rowley Mile straight, but what she lacks in substance she makes up for in class.
William Buick’s mount left an indelible impression when making it three-from-three last time out, gliding clear in the final 200m to rout her opposition in the G2 May Hill Stakes (1600m) at Doncaster over this trip.
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Her seven-and-a-half length winning margin over Scommessa Sicura was a record for the race this century.
Appleby, who sent out Desert Flower to land the 2024 Fillies’ Mile, said his 1.40 shot was a versatile runner that had the ability to win the Fillies Mile and heaped praise his runner.
“Musical Times is a neat filly and versatile. She has so much natural pace at home and showed that through the race. I was hoping she would stay, she did everything very zippy. She handled everything and her race was faultless,” he said.
Scommessa Sicura reopposes but her regally bred stablemate Forbidden Fire, who pairs with Oisin Murphy, holds stronger claims as Andrew Balding plots to see off Aidan O’Brien and clinch his first trainers’ title in Great Britain.
The No Nay Never filly out of a Dubawi mare should appreciate the step up in distance after holding on by a head against a decent crop of colts in the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes (1405m) at Doncaster last month.
“The form has worked out well,” said Balding. “She’s relatively lightly raced, with just two starts, and I hope there’s still improvement in her.”
Rogue Passion is another ready to chime if Musical Times hits a false note.
With Rossa Ryan on board, this progressive contender sealed her ticket to Friday’s feature after making a charge from the back to deny Amusingly by a neck in the G2 Prix d’Aumale (1600m) on good-to-firm ground at ParisLongchamp four weeks ago.
That performance looks all the more special following the runner-up’s subsequent win in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1400m) on Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe day last Sunday (4 October).
“We go there with a nice chance,” said trainer Edward Bethell. “We’ve beaten the best two-year-old filly in France, so hopefully we can run a big race on Friday. I’m not that worried about the ground we get as long as it’s not extremes.”
O’Brien has supplemented the unexposed Haven, to be ridden by Ryan Moore, who is taking a giant leap in class after making all to break her maiden in a modest 1400m all-weather affair at Dundalk, Ireland a fortnight ago.
O’Brien’s son Joseph sends over Dancing Destiny to add further sparkle to his stand-out season.
Declan McDonogh’s mount was firmly held when third on her first tilt at Group 1 company in the Moyglare Stud Stakes (1400m) last month behind the brilliant Sun Goddess and her stablemate Green Empress, a Group 1 ParisLongchamp winner last weekend.
Balding’s bid to prevail in his fierce tussle with O’Brien for the trainers’ title could be boosted by his smart five-year-old Flora Of Bermuda in the G2 Challenge Stakes (1400m), while speedy Flann Sunna can resume winning ways for father and son training duo Simon and Ed Crisford in the G3 Cornwallis Stakes (1000m).
