Soliloquy after leading role in Nell Gwyn Stakes

Three-year-old filly Soliloquy makes her seasonal return in the seven-furlong G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes, one of the features races of day two of the Craven meeting at Newmarket, UK, on Wednesday, 18 April.

The daughter of Dubawi, trained by Charlie Appleby, made all for a half-length success in a mile novice race for fillies at Ascot in September.

This performance followed on from her debut second in a similar contest over seven furlongs on Newmarket’s July Course in August.

Soliloquy, with William Buick up and drawn five, takes on 11 other three-year-old fillies including Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum’s Threading, winner of the G2 Lowther Stakes, and G1 Cheveley Park Stakes sixth Eirene.

Charlie Appleby commented: “Soliloquy has wintered well and this looks a nice starting point to her three-year-old season to see where to go for the rest of the campaign.

“She won over a mile at Ascot and will be doing her best work at the end of this race.

“Coming back in distance is not a concern, but we see her optimum distance as being over a mile or a mile and a quarter.”

Elsewhere on the second day of the Craven meeting, G2 Railway Stakes fifth Folk Tale (Charlie Appleby/William Buick), also by Dubawi, gets his three-year-old campaign underway in the 10-runner Listed European Free Handicap over seven furlongs, for which he has been allotted 8st 12lb and exits from stall five.

Charlie Appleby added: “Folk Tale has done well from two to three and is lining up off a nice weight.

“His homework has been pleasing and he should run a solid race.

“He has shown plenty of speed in his work, but I am hoping that he will get seven furlongs well and potentially a little further.”