3 minute read
Clive Brittain already rates Rizeena as one of the best fillies he has trained and is looking for his Queen Mary Stakes winner to confirm that view in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.
The Newmarket handler has had many classy distaffers through his hands in his 41 years with a licence, headed by 1000 Guineas winners Pebbles and Sayyedati, and the latter is one of his three winners of this race, when it was known as the Cherry Hinton Stakes, which he first won way back in 1976 with Ampulla.
Rizeena showed she was one of the leading lights of her generation when completing a hat-trick with a two-length victory in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot and carries a 3lb penalty for that success.
"She's done very well since Ascot. She's got to give 3lb away, but she gave them all a two-length beating and more. You have to carry your penalty," he said.
"Her work has been good. James Doyle came in to ride her work at the beginning of the week and he was very happy with her. She certainly would be right up the best fillies I've had. I think she's special and I hope all goes well."
One Chance was third at 66-1 in the Queen Mary but her trainer Tim Pitt was not surprised she ran such a big race and sees no reason why she cannot perform with credit again.
"In the post-race race talks we all thought we'd target the Cherry Hinton and she came out of Ascot very well," said the Newmarket handler.
"We've got to take our chance. By rights we've no reason to finish in front of Rizeena, even with a 3lb pull, I think, but it takes more than one horse to make a horse race."
Fig Roll, fourth in the Queen Mary, went on to take the Listed Empress Stakes over this course and distance two weeks ago and trainer Richard Hannon is happy to take on Rizeena again.
"She is such a terrific mover and she floats along, and, though Rizeena, the Queen Mary winner, will be a tough nut to crack, our little filly is as hard as nails and looked to have improved again when she won the Empress Stakes here last time, so we might give the favourite a race," he told www.richardhannonracing.co.uk.