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Ed Walker anticipating bold Lowther show from Royal Fixation

Ed Walker anticipating bold Lowther show from Royal Fixation

Owned by Opulence Thoroughbreds, Ed Walker's youngster pushed Albany Stakes scorer Venetian Sun to within a neck in the Group Two Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket and her team are confident they have a top-class prospect on their hands ahead of this next assignment.
'She's done nothing but please us really and this has been the plan since Newmarket,' said Walker.
'There will be a couple in there with a bit more experience than her but that was a huge run at Newmarket on just her second start and we're very excited about her.
'We've always liked her and she's a short price in a Group Two, so she's got to go and prove it now and there's some very unexposed and equally very good fillies in there. So it's far from a given, but we think she's in good form and hopefully she can go well.'
One of those unexposed fillies Walker may have to worry about is Richard Hughes' America Queen, who created a deep impression when romping to a 12-length Haydock success on debut.
Connections have reached for the services of Ryan Moore for the exciting €180,000 purchase who is an intriguing proposition on just her second start.
'She was very impressive at Haydock and we don't really know what was behind her, but she was just in a different league to them that day,' said Philip Robinson, racing manager to owner Jaber Abdullah.
'It's going to be interesting and she could be absolutely anything. It can be a different thing though once stepping up to take on other quality horses and you will find out where you are.
'We're very pleased to get Ryan Moore for a big occasion like this and we're just keeping our fingers crossed and looking forward to it.'
Hughes and Abdullah will also be represented in the race by Mood Queen, while Charlie Johnston's unbeaten Timeforshowcasing also sports the owner's colours in the six-furlong event.
'Timeforshowcasing is another who is progressive and Charlie has always thought a lot of her,' continued Robinson.
'There's even Mood Queen in there who has shown a nice level of form, but I think between America Queen and Timeforshowcasing we have a realistic chance of taking the race.
'With America Queen, I'm just hoping can prove she is something a little bit special – we'll know exactly where we are this time next week.'
George Scott's Princess Margaret Stakes runner-up Staya and Tim Easterby's consistent Argentine Tango – last seen chasing home Lady Iman in the Molecomb at Goodwood – add further spice to an intriguing contest.
Brian Ellison fields Criterium du Bequet winner Wor Faayth, seven years after his The Mackem Bullet was agonisingly denied in the dying strides of this contest.
'She won very well last time and is a nice filly,' said Ellison.
'She's been in great form since and I'm really happy with her. This has been the plan since La Teste De Buch and she's a Listed winner.
'She's a really fast filly and it's great to have Tom (Marquand) on board, he's top-class. I think she will run well and she's done nothing wrong at home.
'Her work has been great, she's a tough filly who eats well and she took her trip to France very well, so we're very hopeful.'
Simon and Ed Crisford's Dandana got the better of Karl Burke's Pearl Fortune at Ripon recently to take her record to two from two and now both step up in grade, while similar applies to Dylan Cunha's Windsor winner Come On Eibhlin.
Adrian Keatley's Marygate scorer Secret Hideaway returns to the scene of her finest hour to complete the line-up.
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Estrange keeps Arc hopes afloat with Yorkshire Oaks run
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Estrange keeps Arc hopes afloat with Yorkshire Oaks run

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David O'Meara's grey had looked every inch a top-class filly in winning four of her first five starts, most recently striking Group Two gold in last month's Lancashire Oaks at Haydock. Despite ground concerns, Estrange was given the go-ahead to step up to Group One level for the first time on the Knavesmire and her supporters must have been getting excited as she cruised menacingly into contention under Danny Tudhope early in the home straight. She was ultimately no match for the Epsom and Irish Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk, to whom she was conceding 9lb, but there still appears to be every chance she could become Cheveley Park Stud's first runner in Europe's premier middle-distance contest on October 5. 'She ran a cracker on ground that maybe wasn't quite ideal for her – she likes a bit softer. She was giving the winner 9lb and has finished second in a Group One to upgrade her CV, so we're delighted,' said Cheveley Park director Richard Thompson. 'Two furlongs out, I've got to say, for a couple of seconds I thought 'we could do this'. But you soon realised Minnie Hauk had too much and the 9lb was too much. 'The bottom line is it was a very good performance and we're delighted to get second in a Group One.' On a possible tilt at the Arc, for which Paddy Power make her a 33-1 shot, Thompson added: 'The dream is not dead, of course it's not, and if the ground came up right you've got to consider it because you don't get many shots at the Arc. 'We'll have to sit down and have a think about it, see how the ground looks and how she comes out of this race and take it from there because you've got other options for her, but the Arc is a dream of course as we've never had a runner in it and we'd love to have runner, who wouldn't? 'You've got the fillies and mares race at Ascot on Champions Day two weeks later, so you'd have to see how the field was shaping up for the Arc and everything else. Ascot would be a good option for her as the ground should come all right for her there, it normally does.' O'Meara was similarly delighted with the performance of Estrange and is looking forward to campaigning her at Group One level, wherever that may be. He said: 'Take nothing away from Minnie Hauk as she was tough today and she was tough at the Curragh – it's what she does best. But we're delighted with our filly, I think she's run a very good race and we're very proud of her. 'I was starting to get a little bit excited when Danny loomed up. She's a lot of class, how she can move up so easy in a race – it's a great asset. 'I'll speak to connections and see what they'd like to do. We had this race in mind for a long time, for a while it was looking in doubt with the way the weather was and the ground was, but we've taken a chance and based on how she's ran I think we were justified in doing so. 'I wouldn't rule out the Arc, why not (have a go)? The only two older fillies that have won this race in recent years have both won Arc – Enable and Alpinista. 'Our filly has run a very good race today on ground that I think isn't her optimum and she deserves her spot in Group One company.'

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David O'Meara's grey had looked every inch a top-class filly in winning four of her first five starts, most recently striking Group Two gold in last month's Lancashire Oaks at Haydock. Despite ground concerns, Estrange was given the go-ahead to step up to Group One level for the first time on the Knavesmire and her supporters must have been getting excited as she cruised menacingly into contention under Danny Tudhope early in the home straight. She was ultimately no match for the Epsom and Irish Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk, to whom she was conceding 9lb, but there still appears to be every chance she could become Cheveley Park Stud's first runner in Europe's premier middle-distance contest on October 5. 'She ran a cracker on ground that maybe wasn't quite ideal for her – she likes a bit softer. She was giving the winner 9lb and has finished second in a Group One to upgrade her CV, so we're delighted,' said Cheveley Park director Richard Thompson. 'Two furlongs out, I've got to say, for a couple of seconds I thought 'we could do this'. But you soon realised Minnie Hauk had too much and the 9lb was too much. 'The bottom line is it was a very good performance and we're delighted to get second in a Group One.' On a possible tilt at the Arc, for which Paddy Power make her a 33-1 shot, Thompson added: 'The dream is not dead, of course it's not, and if the ground came up right you've got to consider it because you don't get many shots at the Arc. 'We'll have to sit down and have a think about it, see how the ground looks and how she comes out of this race and take it from there because you've got other options for her, but the Arc is a dream of course as we've never had a runner in it and we'd love to have runner, who wouldn't? 'You've got the fillies and mares race at Ascot on Champions Day two weeks later, so you'd have to see how the field was shaping up for the Arc and everything else. Ascot would be a good option for her as the ground should come all right for her there, it normally does.' O'Meara was similarly delighted with the performance of Estrange and is looking forward to campaigning her at Group One level, wherever that may be. He said: 'Take nothing away from Minnie Hauk as she was tough today and she was tough at the Curragh – it's what she does best. But we're delighted with our filly, I think she's run a very good race and we're very proud of her. 'I was starting to get a little bit excited when Danny loomed up. She's a lot of class, how she can move up so easy in a race – it's a great asset. 'I'll speak to connections and see what they'd like to do. We had this race in mind for a long time, for a while it was looking in doubt with the way the weather was and the ground was, but we've taken a chance and based on how she's ran I think we were justified in doing so. 'I wouldn't rule out the Arc, why not (have a go)? The only two older fillies that have won this race in recent years have both won Arc – Enable and Alpinista. 'Our filly has run a very good race today on ground that I think isn't her optimum and she deserves her spot in Group One company.'

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