Latest news with #Anthelia
Powys County Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Empress date looms for unbeaten Anthelia
Anthelia puts her unbeaten record on the line when she steps up in trip for the Empress Fillies' Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday. Rod Millman's daughter of Supremacy has proven deadly over five furlongs so far in her career and dazzled in the Listed National Stakes at Sandown last time, but having made the decision to skip Royal Ascot, connections now head to the July course for a first try at six furlongs buoyed by last week's results at the summer showpiece. 'She carried a 3lb penalty for her win at Sandown which obviously makes life a little bit harder but the form has stood up well and there was a couple of horses not beaten far at Royal Ascot last week,' said Millman. 'One horse was only beaten two lengths in the Windsor Castle (Dylan Cunha's Kamakameleon) and the other ran very close in the Queen Mary (Jane Chapple-Hyam's Eskimo Pie) and they were held behind her at Sandown, so the form stacks up well. 'She's been a very good filly for us and has trained very well since Sandown, so hopefully she can run well again. I think she will take six furlongs well and in all her races she has finished strongly. 'It was always the plan to miss Royal Ascot. Ascot is fantastic, but it is always so competitive – this is a competitive race obviously, but it wouldn't be as tough as a Queen Mary. All being well we've got a busy season planned for her if it all works out.' Anthelia's chief market rivals appear to be Richard Hughes' Windsor winner Bella Lyra and David Loughnane's Amberia who created a real impression when making all on debut at Leicester, bolting up by six lengths. The daughter of Coulsty, who cost just €2,000 as a yearling, has since been purchased by American owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, with Loughnane eager to see how his exciting prospect performs up at Listed level. Loughnane said: 'She's in good order and she's come on both mentally and physically since Leicester. 'It wouldn't concern me dropping back to six furlongs as she jumped and travelled and showed plenty of speed in her first start. 'Obviously it's a massive step up in grade but we hope she can go there and be competitive and if she comes home with black type that would be great.' Tim Easterby's Argentine Tango accounted for Karl Burke's subsequent Prix du Bois fourth Meelaf when they met in Beverley's Hilary Needler and heads to HQ in winning order, as does Hamilton scorer Midnight Tango who could continue the Ed Walker and Kieran Shoemark hot streak in a race the stable won with Celandine 12 months ago. Hugo Palmer's Game Striker arrives on the back of a win last time, with the Manor House handler also saddling Miss Piggle. Gemma Tutty's Awraad completes the line-up.
Powys County Times
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Anthelia stays unbeaten with National Stakes success
Anthelia maintained her unbeaten record with a well-timed effort in the Star Sports National Stakes at Sandown. The daughter of Supremacy – who was purchased by Middleham Park Racing after her debut win at Bath before following up at Salisbury earlier this month – was patiently ridden against the rail and Lewis Edmunds judged it nicely as the pair got up to win by a length at 25-1. First Legion chased her down on the outside, but left his challenge too late, with Rod Millman's filly holding on to take Listed honours. Millman said: 'We paid £6,000 for her and we had her earmarked for a good order. We were going to buy one for £50,000, this is one we picked out, but we weren't sure she was worth £50,000 so we bought something else and then she was walking round the ring and I saw there were no bids on her so I picked her up for £6,000. She's probably worth a bit more now. 'We didn't want to get in a duel for the front because we wanted to finish off and to be honest the main thing today was to get some black type. As it's turned out she's better than we thought she was. 'She will still be learning the game and when she won at Bath she came from the pack and then it was only a four-runner race last time and this will be the first time she has been roughed up in a race. 'It's very exciting for the future really and we haven't had one finish at the top of our gallops like her for a long time.' Despite beating some well-entered opposition and being handed a quote of 14-1 for the Queen Mary Stakes by Coral, connections seem keen to avoid Royal Ascot, with Newmarket's Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' Stakes on June 26 seen as a suitable alternative. The trainer's son and assistant James Millman added: 'The aim was to miss Royal Ascot and go to the Empress and it is very tough taking on the best at Royal Ascot and sometimes you don't have a horse afterwards. 'The Super Sprint was her main aim, but she's a bit ahead of that now. She wants six furlongs and that's why she didn't go to the Marygate at York, as five would have been a bit sharp for her there.'
