Unbeaten Tony Bloom-owned star Venetian Sun set big target as form receives major boost
Tony Bloom's unbeaten filly Venetian Sun is back from a break and being primed to take on the colts in the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville.
The speedy juvenile has swept the board against her fellow juveniles this season, running out a convincing winner of the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.
She then justified short odds by fending off Royal Fixation by a neck in Newmarket's Group Two Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes earlier this month.
Back home in North Yorkshire, trainer Karl Burke chose to give Venetian Sun a few easy weeks and she is now building up to her first run at the highest level on August 24.
The Ascot form received a major boost when fourth-placed Fitzella took the Sodexo Live! Princess Margaret Stakes on the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes undercard.
"She is back cantering and we are looking ahead to the Prix Morny," said Burke, whose star horse is owned by Brighton FC chairman Bloom and Ian McAleavy.
"It was a bit of an afterthought to go for the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes. She has been in great form since and I expect her to handle the journey to France OK. I think she's bombproof."
Burke also has one eye on the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh in September, a race Aidan O'Brien has claimed ten times.
"I have been impressed with his horse True Love and I think she is a bigger danger to my filly than any of the colts I've seen," he added.
After finishing three lengths behind Venetian Sun at the prestigious royal fixture last month, Fitzella (9-4f) returned to winning ways under Oisin Murphy.
Quickly away from stall five, she made all of the running and kept on well to hold the challenges of Staya and Bella Lyra.
"She's the fourth horse to run out of the Albany and she's the third one to win a Group race and the other one won a maiden, so it looks like a pretty strong renewal," her handler Hugo Palmer said.
"She's tough, game, good looking, well-bred. I said we would go seven (furlongs, next) whatever happened here."
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