Cosmic Princess looks a promising filly

Despite an absence of 264 days, Cosmic Princess (6/1) made a winning reappearance in the opening ten furlongs fillies' novice stakes at Newbury on Saturday. Hughie Morrison's well bred daughter of Kingman, who is featured in the Maidens In Waiting section of Ahead On The Flat, had caught the eye in no uncertain terms on her only start at Kempton last Autumn. Withdrawn from a similar engagement at the same track a couple of weeks ago, due to a pulled muscle, she travelled smoothly on her return with Hollie Doyle looking for an opening inside the final quarter of a mile. Once the gap came, Cosmic Princess quickened up well and won a shade cosily by a neck. On this evidence, she will stay further and has Pattern race potential. 

Hollie Doyle was also on board Lady G in the Listed Aphrodite Stakes on the same card and one can't help thinking William Haggas' filly should have won. Racing off a mark of 80 and rated a stone inferior to anything else in the field, she was heavily supported beforehand and only missed out by a half a length. The race went the way of Cabaletta, who had disappointed in the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks last time but had defeated Frankly Darling at Yarmouth as a two year old. Lady G hit the front approaching the two furlongs marker and looked set for victory. However, she couldn't withstand the late thrust of Roger Varian's filly and was narrowly denied. I suspect with a stronger rider on board, the result may have been different but she remains a promising middle distance filly who is capable of winning a similar event. Something like the Listed Galtres Stakes at York next month could be an option.

William Haggas was very much the man to follow at York though winning the John Smith's Cup for a third time. Sinjaari was making his belated seasonal return and racing off a mark of 95. Positioned towards the rear, the lightly raced four year old showed a smart turn of foot to reel in Certain Lad to win by a length. Gelded during the winter, William spoke favourably about him in Ahead On The Flat and it would be no surprise to see him tackle stakes races sooner rather than later. 

The Somerville Lodge team had earlier sent out My Oberon (Unraced Three Year Olds) to win the one mile novice stakes by six lengths. The well bred son of Dubawi had shaped encouragingly on his debut at Newmarket last month but he was much more streetwise on this occasion and streaked clear for an easy success. It will be interesting to see what rating the twice raced colt is allocated.