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Miami Girl rockets into Royal Ascot reckoning

3 minute read

Miami Girl booked her ticket for Royal Ascot with a startling debut display in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange British EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket.

Trainer : Richard Hannon. Picture: Pat Healy Photography

The Richard Hannon-trained filly had no trouble in beating colts on her first start and earned a 10-1 quote for the Queen Mary from Betfair into the bargain.

With all the pre-race talk surrounding Andrew Balding's expensive recruit Syndicated, Miami Girl, owned by Amo Racing, was sent off a 5-1 chance – but as soon as Rossa Ryan gave her the office going into the dip the race was over.

She shot five and a half lengths clear, with Beautiful Sunrise running on late to beat the odds-on favourite for second.

"She's a real two-year-old, a bit flighty – she hadn't really shown us that at home," said Hannon.

"I think it was a good performance for a filly against the colts. Rossa kicked on a long way from home, but they hadn't gone much of a gallop.

"There's the Marygate at York or the National Stakes at Sandown she could go for before Ascot and I think we might make hay while the sun shines.

"We'll she how she is and if she relaxes, but I'd also be very happy to go to Ascot with the bubble still intact."

George Baker has some nice targets in mind for Cemhaan (100-30 favourite) who backed up his win at Salsibury 11 days ago when winning the £100,000 Betfair Daily Rewards Handicap in some style under Hollie Doyle.

"I didn't have a penny on but you don't need to when you are running for that sort of money," said Baker.

"I thought he had been a bit free, but he's just a quietly progressive staying horse. We'd made the entry for this before Salisbury and he had to win well there to come for this.

"I didn't think he'd win like that and hopefully he might sneak into the bottom of something like the Ebor. He loves Epsom and there'll probably be something at the Derby meeting for him.

"I hadn't thought about two miles but he ran through the line strongly there to suggest he'd get it, so that would even bring races like the Northumberland Plate into it. We've lots of options going forward, we're only at May 1, it's a long season and we'll obviously end up in the Arc!"