Latest news with #DuchessofCambridgeStakes
Powys County Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Venetian Sun stays unbeaten in Duchess of Cambridge Stakes
Venetian Sun narrowly held off the late charge of Royal Fixation to win the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket and in the process take her unbeaten record to three. Sent off the 2-5 favourite after a convincing Albany Stakes success at Royal Ascot, Venetian Sun travelled supremely well throughout the six-furlong Group Two and when Clifford Lee asked her to quicken, it looked a matter of how far. Royal Fixation and William Buick had other ideas though, launching their challenge away from the market leader in the final furlong, with Venetian Sun's margin only a neck in the end, although there was still a slightly cosy feel to it. The Karl Burke-trained winner was left an unchanged 14-1 shot for next year's 1000 Guineas by Paddy Power. A close finish to this one! Venetian Sun holds on to win the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes! ☀️ @karl_burke | @CliffordleexLee | @NewmarketRace — ITV Racing (@itvracing) July 11, 2025 Burke said: 'This race wasn't part of the plan originally, we just made a decision last week to enter and have a look at the race and if we were happy with the filly and happy with the race then we might take our chance. 'There's been no issues with the filly, but we haven't trained her for this race – we've been fairly easy on her since Ascot, as you would expect, with the thought that we'd go for the Lowther at York or maybe the Prix Morny. 'Now she's won a Group Two that brings the Morny into it more than the Lowther. We won't say we're definitely going to the Morny, but if the ground is a bit easier and it's a race we think we can be very competitive in we could go there and still have time to get her ready for the Moyglare. 'If we're not happy with her for the Morny, we'll go straight to the Moyglare.' Burke completed the Albany/Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes double with Dandalla five years ago, while Laurens and Fallen Angel were both Classic-winning fillies for the Spigot Lodge handler, who has made no secret of the regard in which he holds his latest potential star. 'I would say she's another league above Dandalla, who was a very good racehorse but this filly is a little bit special,' he added. 'She'd be quicker than Laurens and Fallen Angel. They were high-class, Group One-winning fillies and this filly hasn't done that yet, but she'd be a lot quicker and she's a very straightforward filly with a fantastic mind.' Ed Walker was delighted with the performance of runner-up Royal Fixation. He said: 'I'm very proud of her. You come in here off the back of a Thirsk maiden and you don't really know how good you are, but she's very good. 'It would have been disappointing if she had run badly as we rate her very highly among our two-year-olds, but to run that filly (Venetian Sun) as close as we did is pretty exciting because I think she's a very special filly. 'Briefly I thought we might get there. I could just sense from Will's body language that he thought he had a chance. 'I think she was a bit green. She never came off the bridle at Thirsk so today is the first time she's had a proper race. There's lots more to come, I'd say. 'I don't know where we'll go next – I'll have a cold beer and worry about that later. The Lowther has got to be a potential target.'
Powys County Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Venetian Sun setting the standard in Duchess of Cambridge
Karl Burke's Venetian Sun seeks to add a third win to her flawless record in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket. The Starman filly has always been held in the highest regard since her purchase for 240,000 guineas as a yearling and has not disappointed so far, winning her debut at Carlisle in May and then claiming the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot in good style. She remains at the same six-furlong trip on the July course, but is raised marginally in grade as she takes on a Group Two task under regular rider Clifford Lee. Burke said: 'It wasn't originally in the planning to run here, but it's a Group Two and a step forward and to get that Group Two on the CV for her as a broodmare later on is very important. 'It looks a race that she can win and she worked very nicely last week. We obviously haven't done a lot with her since Ascot, but she had her first little piece of work since last week and did it well. 'We don't need to be pushing any buttons with her now, we know exactly where we are with her.' Michael Bell's Spicy Marg steps up to six furlongs, having last been seen finishing unplaced in the five-furlong Queen Mary at the Royal meeting. Prior to that she was an impressive winner on debut, however, and the race will determine at which level she is campaigned in the future. 'This race decides if she's geared towards something like the Cheveley Park or we lower our sights, but she looks classy at home and it's up to her to show us,' said Bell. 'We've seen glimpses of it on debut in a very good time and she ran a perfectly respectable race at Ascot. 'Given we think there's a couple of reasons for underperforming we'd be hopeful for an improved performance.' Ed Walker's Royal Fixation will be ridden by William Buick on her second start, with her debut a pleasing one-length victory at Thirsk last month. 'She's got stacks of speed and we think she's very nice,' the trainer said. 'It's a very strong race, but she's in good form and this has been the plan since she won. 'I'm sure she'll improve for that run and I guess the only thing is she barely came off the bridle. 'She will have to come off it this time and she might be like lots of mine and still be very green off the bridle, but I expect whatever we see on Friday we will then see better again in the future.' Elsewhere in the race is Tim Easterby's Argentine Tango, winner of both the Hilary Needler and the Empress Stakes, and Archie Watson's Shine On Me, who was sixth in the Queen Mary.
North Wales Chronicle
07-07-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Flowerhead not certain to take Duchess of Cambridge chance
The Amo Racing-owned two-year-old won a Chepstow maiden before stepping up to Group Two level for the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, where she defied 100-1 odds to come home second. Clover wants to give her the best chance of winning at Group level as he decides between the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket on Friday or the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot later in the month. Clover said: 'She's in great order. Whether she runs or not (in the Duchess of Cambridge) we'll wait and see, there's still the Princess Margaret to consider and there's no guarantee we'll run her. 'She's in a good spot but we just want to try to put her in the weakest race possible to try to enhance her chances of winning. We'll have a look at the declarations and if it's the right spot we'll go there and if not we'll hold off and go back to Ascot. 'I think the step up to six will suit her and she's in great nick. 'She deserves the chance to run but at the same time I'm conscious there might be a weaker spot coming up in the Princess Margaret. 'I don't think it was a bad Queen Mary by any stretch of the imagination and Staya looked a nice horse winning that Listed race at Sandown. We'll see some nice horses come out of the Queen Mary. 'The ground's not an issue, she's won on good to soft, second at Ascot on good to firm. Good ground is her preference but we're not really scared of ground. She's pretty versatile.'
Rhyl Journal
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Flowerhead not certain to take Duchess of Cambridge chance
The Amo Racing-owned two-year-old won a Chepstow maiden before stepping up to Group Two level for the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, where she defied 100-1 odds to come home second. Clover wants to give her the best chance of winning at Group level as he decides between the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket on Friday or the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot later in the month. Clover said: 'She's in great order. Whether she runs or not (in the Duchess of Cambridge) we'll wait and see, there's still the Princess Margaret to consider and there's no guarantee we'll run her. 'She's in a good spot but we just want to try to put her in the weakest race possible to try to enhance her chances of winning. We'll have a look at the declarations and if it's the right spot we'll go there and if not we'll hold off and go back to Ascot. 'I think the step up to six will suit her and she's in great nick. 'She deserves the chance to run but at the same time I'm conscious there might be a weaker spot coming up in the Princess Margaret. 'I don't think it was a bad Queen Mary by any stretch of the imagination and Staya looked a nice horse winning that Listed race at Sandown. We'll see some nice horses come out of the Queen Mary. 'The ground's not an issue, she's won on good to soft, second at Ascot on good to firm. Good ground is her preference but we're not really scared of ground. She's pretty versatile.'
Leader Live
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
Flowerhead not certain to take Duchess of Cambridge chance
The Amo Racing-owned two-year-old won a Chepstow maiden before stepping up to Group Two level for the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, where she defied 100-1 odds to come home second. Clover wants to give her the best chance of winning at Group level as he decides between the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket on Friday or the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot later in the month. Clover said: 'She's in great order. Whether she runs or not (in the Duchess of Cambridge) we'll wait and see, there's still the Princess Margaret to consider and there's no guarantee we'll run her. 'She's in a good spot but we just want to try to put her in the weakest race possible to try to enhance her chances of winning. We'll have a look at the declarations and if it's the right spot we'll go there and if not we'll hold off and go back to Ascot. 'I think the step up to six will suit her and she's in great nick. 'She deserves the chance to run but at the same time I'm conscious there might be a weaker spot coming up in the Princess Margaret. 'I don't think it was a bad Queen Mary by any stretch of the imagination and Staya looked a nice horse winning that Listed race at Sandown. We'll see some nice horses come out of the Queen Mary. 'The ground's not an issue, she's won on good to soft, second at Ascot on good to firm. Good ground is her preference but we're not really scared of ground. She's pretty versatile.'
