Desert Flower lays down strong Classic marker with G1 Fillies’ Mile rout

Desert Flower rounded off an unbeaten two-year-old campaign with a brilliant display as she trounced her rivals in the G1 Fillies’ Mile on day one of the Dubai Future Champions Festival at Newmarket, Friday, 11 October. 

The Night Of Thunder homebred, who had already proved her stamina for the distance with victory in the G2 May Hill Stakes, broke smartly under William Buick to dispute third alongside January as Dreamy and Ballet Slippers led the seven-strong field. 

January made the first move for home when the leaders started to weaken over two furlongs out, with Desert Flower joining the Coolmore runner shortly after as the duo quickened away. 

Desert Flower soon took control, with the Charlie Appleby-trained filly hitting the front approaching the final furlong before streaking clear to score by a commanding five and a half lengths. 

Charlie Appleby said: “I want to congratulate the team because Desert Flower is a filly with a switch on her. They have done a great job minding her and I was really pleased with the way she paraded today. She was as calm as we have seen her.

“William had to sit into her, but that’s just her and she is still quite raw. Once she hit the rising ground, I was confident she would pick up and go away. She is like that at home and full credit to Collen Storey, who rides her and does a great job.

“She is not an exciting filly in the mornings, but the way she does stuff and pulls up at the end of the gallop as though she has not been in a gallop. She will go clear of a nice lead horse, pull up, there won’t be a puff out of her, and then she walks home. That is what gives you the encouragement. 

“I don’t really see much point of going away from where we are in terms of trip. Could she stretch out to 10 furlongs? Possibly, but the first objective will be the 1,000 Guineas. She is a filly who does not take much getting fit. She is a scopey filly and you would love to see her put on a few kilos during the winter.”

William Buick said: “I was very impressed with Desert Flower. Everyone has thought highly of her from the word go, and she has come through the ranks beautifully. Her campaign has been flawless.

“I was very happy throughout the race. The pace was on and it was good and even the whole way. In this ground, it was a true test and you would not get much change out of the result. 

“She needed a little bit of help coming into the dip, as can be the case with horses running on the Rowley Mile for the first time, but you could be nothing but impressed with how she hit the rising ground. She really motored home and pulled up way in the distance.

I think she is learning. She ran twice at the July Course and then had her first trip away to Doncaster, where I think she learnt plenty that day. She looked around in front but still had plenty left, and she brought that experience into today – she was much more the finished article.”