Sporting a first-time hood, Waardah comfortably defeated her six rivals to come home a smooth winner in the Betfred Park Hill Stakes (G2), the feature race on the opening day of the Betfred St Leger Festival.
Sir Mark Prescott’s Consent cut out the early running, while Callum Rodriguez settled his filly in midfield. As the field entered the home straight, Waardah was evidently travelling much the best under Rodriguez who sent his mount on at the two-furlong pole.
The daughter of Postponed soon asserted and stayed on strongly to beat Danielle into second by 1 & ¾-lengths who finished ahead of Consent in third.
Rodriguez said: “I was very impressed. I’m just delighted to be honest. I was really looking forward to her this season because she’s such a talented filly who needs this ease in the ground. The race went very smoothly, and I am glad she was able to show what she can do.”
This was a second win in the race for trainer Owen Burrows who first won this with Nakheel in 2024 who was also owned by Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum.
Burrows said: “She appreciates a little bit of juice in the ground. She was only beaten a neck at Goodwood on quick ground. I was pretty hopeful coming here today and she did it well.”
The performance of the day undoubtedly came from the William Buick-ridden Musical Times in the Betfred May Hill Stakes (G2). The unbeaten Charlie Appleby filly stretched her 100% career record to three as she cruised clear of her opposition to by an astonishing 7 & ½ lengths.
Buick said: “We got there very early and she was a little green in front, but I was mightily impressed with her. She still has plenty to learn and can only improve for that. She relaxed and quickened supremely well.”
This was a second win in this race for connections who landed the May Hill with subsequent Betfred 1000 Guineas winner Desert Flower in 2024. Charlie Appleby earmarked the Fillies Mile (G1) as an end of season target for his exciting 2-year-old in the aftermath of the race.
Appleby said: “We’re delighted. She shows so much natural pace at home. They went a good gallop and she’s picked up really excitingly. The plan was to come here and then go onto the Fillies Mile.”
The Weatherbys £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes went the way of Eve Johnson-Houghton’s Night In Vegas who added to an already impressive prize-money haul she has accrued this season with another sales race success. This was a second consecutive win in the race for owners Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds.
In the opening British Stallion Studs ‘Carrie Red’ EBF Fillies’ Nursery, the well-supported Speed of Sound justified market favouritism with a smooth front-running success for Richard Spencer and Rebel Racing.
