Mgheera storms home to secure smart Temple triumph
Previously trained in France, the five-year-old was having her second start for Ed Walker having won a ParisLongchamp Group Three on her debut for the yard earlier in the month.
Partnered by William Buick, who had already ridden three winners on the card, Mgheera was settled early on as Law Of Average set a testing pace, but she was travelling notably well up the nearside rail in the final furlong.
She's Quality had set sail for home on the other side of the track but 10-1 shot Mgheera had too much in reserve and swept through to take the prize by half a length, with Washington Heights the same distance back in third.
The winner was cut to 14-1 from 20s for the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot by Paddy Power, while Coral were more impressed and make her a 12-1 chance from 20s.
Walker, while keen on taking her to Ascot, feels the Nunthorpe at York would be the perfect race for her – if she is still in his care with a trip to Australia in the pipeline.
'She's done absolutely nothing wrong since she joined us and we weren't massively surprised when she won in France,' said Walker.
'The only thing that I was surprised about was how much she drifted in the betting. She was 4-1 and she's gone and won at 10-1.
'I know it wasn't the strongest Group Two ever but it was deep enough.
'She's always slowly away, whether she'll keep getting away with it, particularly at Ascot which is where I think we'll go next, I don't know.
'A stiff five will suit her but I think the Nunthorpe will be perfect for her, she's very quick.
'There's talk of her going to Australia to visit Too Darn Hot, but it will be hard to pass up a realistic chance in the Nunthorpe – I hope!
'It looks an inspired decision to buy her now in hindsight, but we didn't envisage it working out this well. We knew her form quite well from taking Makarova over to France and she wasn't beaten far by Bradsell in a Listed race.
'The game looks easy when it turns out like this. It's pretty cool and she's very exciting.'
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