Sapphire lives up to expectations in Qipco British Champions Fillies' And Mares' Stakes at Ascot
Sapphire has been tagged as favourite on her every start so far this season. And, D. K. Weld’s filly did not let her supporters down on most of the occasions. Winning three of the last four outings is good enough to show her current good momentum.
The 4-year-old was mighty impressive on her latest start at Royal Ascot. The bookies showed total trust in her abilities once again, giving her the highest price of 5 to 2. Her fans, however, had their hearts in the mouth in the beginning, when the filly
held up in sixth.
Things started turning worse, but the dashing filly quickly reacted to the situation. In the hands of Pat Smullen, she made smooth progress to reach the front row well before the wire. After making herself prominent, she pumped up her speed, and got her
head in front a furlong ahead of the finishing line.
The daughter of Medicean continued to run well, and eventually took a handsome 2¼-length victory over Shirocco Star in the Group 2, Qipco British Champions Fillies' And Mares' Stakes.
"This filly appreciates ease in the ground and she's unbeaten over a mile and a half. We were considering the Irish St Leger, but she just came into season so we missed it and prepared for this. It's very nice to have a double - Ascot's been a lucky track
for me," said Weld, who trains Sapphire for Moyglare Stud Farm.
The jockey added: "I was very confident she'd run a big race, but it's always nice to ride a winner earlier in the day. They went a good pace and I was happy for Kieren to kick on and then go after her. In testing ground this filly comes into her own."
Sapphire cannot relax even for a second now, because the burden of expectations on her shoulders is bigger than ever. She has done justice to her talent so far, but more tough tests are coming up.
Her life will be no easy in the days to come, as the bookmakers and punters have been showing blind faith in her, and she surely needs to be on top of her game in order to avoid any disappointment.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and do not reflect Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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