Matareya caps remarkable ascent with G1 Acorn Stakes rout

Matareya continued her perfect season as she secured a first G1 success at Belmont Park on Saturday with a commanding victory in the Acorn Stakes.

The three-year-old filly has excelled since finishing second to subsequent Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath at Oaklawn Park on New Year's Eve, winning all four starts by an aggregate of more than 22 lengths.

Matareya’s task was made significantly easier on Saturday following the late scratching of last year’s Champion two-year-old filly Echo Zulu, but the Godolphin homebred was utterly dominant from the start, breezing home under a motionless Flavien Prat.

Having bagged a full set of G3, G2 and G1 wins this season, Matareya looks set to be pointed towards the G1 Test Stakes at Saratoga in August.

On the same Belmont card, Speaker’s Corner attempted to serve it up to Flightline in the G1 Met Mile but was put in his place as he finished third behind the Californian-based superstar.

After suffering his first defeat of the season, the Carter Handicap winner could potentially drop back to seven furlongs for the G1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga later in the summer.

In Japan, Darlington Hall continued his good season with a second straight G3 placing in the Epsom Cup, while Valiant Prince got the better of Art Du Val in a York Listed race in the UK.

Royal Ascot dominates the racing calendar this week and Godolphin will be hoping to claim the leading owner title at the meeting for a second successive year.

Tuesday’s card features three G1 races, with 2,000 Guineas winner Coroebus aiming to consolidate his position as the best three-year-old miler around in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

Real World will be hoping to turn the tables on Baaeed in the Queen Anne Stakes, while Man Of Promise and Lazuli face some fearsome international opposition in the King’s Stand Stakes.

Creative Force and Naval Crown fought out the finish to the Jersey Stakes 12 months ago and the duo look set for a rematch in Saturday’s G1 Platinum Jubilee Stakes, with Hurricane Lane due to make his seasonal return on the same card in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes.