Midday set to take on St Nicholas Abbey in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the King George VI Stakes at Ascot week
Sir Henry Cecil trained daughter of Oasis Dream, Midday could be set to take on the four-year-old bay colt, St Nicholas Abbey, in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the King George VI Stakes at the Ascot on 16 July, 2011.
That would be possible if Workforce, also owned by Khalid Abdullah but trained by Sir Michael Stout, does not run in either of the stakes races.
Midday had a crack at St Nicholas Abbey in the Group 1 Investec Coronation Cup on 3 June, 2011 at Epsom.
She was defeated by St Nicholas Abbey by a length on a field of five horses in the 1 mile 4 furlongs' event.
Midday, ridden by jockey Tom Queally, quickened to lead the 3 furlongs' mark on the outside, but did not have enough energy in her legs to maintain speed and got over run by leaders, 2 lengths clear.
It was a driven run in the final furlong but St Nicholas Abbey squeezed and stayed on gamely to lead the final 75 yards to the finish, defeating Midday by a mere length.
After the Epsom, the five-year-old brown mare had an opportunity to earn a Breeders’ Cup spot by winning the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes for fillies and mares, over a distance of a mile and 2 furlongs.
But the Aidan O’Brien trained Misty For Me spoiled the party for Midday, beating the brown mare by a massive six lengths to earn a Breeders’ Cup spot, held at Churchill Downs on 4 to 5 November, 2011.
Midday has a life time record of eight wins, six runners-up and thrice finishing third out of 19 starts. Her recent win came back in May, when she won the Group 2 Middleton Stakes at York on 12 May, 2011.
Graded stakes race for fillies and mares, run at a distance of 1 mile and 2 ½ furlongs, the Juddmonte Farms bred, Midday took on a field of seven other fillies and mares with jockey Tom Queally roused.
The pair played a game of cat and mouse, as they waited for their cue. Midday stayed off the pace with Tom Queally, as they tracked leaders in the opening half of the race. Three furlongs out, Tom Queally kicked off and shook things up as Midday from behind
cut the competition in half to lead in the final furlong. Stayed on well and crossed the wire.
Midday defeated Sajjhaa by a good 2 lengths to claim the Group 2 Middleton Stakes.
In her last race she just ran in to a good filly in the shape of Misty For Me, but showed that she can take on the toughest of rivals at any given day. St Nicholas Abbey’s connections will be wary of that.
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