ALL ABOUT RACE THREE ON SATURDAY, JUNE 7

Fine ride from Tom Queally

DERBY DAY 2008
RACENEWS RACECOURSE SERVICE
EPSOM DOWNS SATURDAY, JUNE 7

Race Three - Princess Elizabeth Stakes (Group Three)

QUEALLY STEALS IT ON LADY GLORIA

Lady Gloria revelled in the front-running role she relishes under a fine ride from Tom Queally, to take the Group Three Princess Elizabeth Stakes by a diminishing half-length from French raider Cicerole.

Sent to the front early, the James Given-trained four-year-old, a professed soft ground lover, dug deep in the run to the line to repel her rivals and land the extended mile contest.

Queally commented: "Last time out she got left and the aim today was to roll along in front. She's very game and I wanted to get her well on the stretch coming down the hill and in fairness to her she handed me a lovely ride.

"She got going nicely and she pointed her toe well through the last furlong. I didn't know if I had got there or not because it's a funny angle but she's tough. She hasn't got her ground yet because she loves some ease and I had my doubts if she would handle the track or not but she did."

The 7/1 shot, successful in a Listed race on very soft going at Fontainebleau in November, finished runner-up to hot-pot Bankable at Goodwood last Saturday, a race in which nothing went as planned.

The winning trainer said: "Tom gave her a great ride today. The tactics last time out at Goodwood were not what we wanted as she likes to bowl along in front like she did here.

"She was a 7/1 chance and sometimes when horses are less fancied they tend to be ignored. She slipped the field in front and kept lengthening to the line.

"That's not to take anything away from her - she's admirably tough. She's a Listed winner, a Group winner and Listed-placed twice.

"Her last race wasn't given the credit it deserved as she beat a load of colts, which is always hard for a filly to do. Things didn't go to plan that day as she fell asleep in the stalls and had to chase from behind.

"She's entered for a race in Europe, which she could go for. I have always felt that she was ground dependent but today has given encouragement to try again on good ground."

LEMAIRE PRAISES FRENCH FILLY

RACE THREE: THE PRINCESS ELIZABETH STAKES (sponsored by Vodafone)
PLACE QUOTES

Jockey Christophe Lemaire praised the efforts of French raider Cicerole, who went down by half-a-length in a keenly-contested renewal of the Princess Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Vodafone).

The Jean Claude Rouget-trained four-year-old rattled home but just couldn't get to the front-running Lady Gloria.

Lemaire said: "She was relaxed in the early part of the race but wasn't very balanced turning in.

"She then came with a very good effort but was looking in every way at all the people."

Richard Hannon, trainer of fourth-placed Selinka, said: "She will come on a lot for the run and will go to Royal Ascot next for the Windsor Forest."

Race 3 - Princess Elizabeth Stakes (Group Three) - placed quotes

WADHAM THRILLED WITH IN-FOAL ENFORCE

Trainer Lucy Wadham was thrilled with Enforce's third place finish in the Group Three Princess Elizabeth Stakes over a mile on Derby Day.

The five-year-old daughter of Kalanisi was settled in fourth throughout by William Buick before laying down her challenge at the two-furlong pole. Hard as she tried, she was still half a length and a short-head in arrears of Lady Gloria and Cicerole at the line.

It would have been a fairytale story for her owners had Enforce won, because she is in-foal to 2006 Vodafone Derby winner Sir Percy, who also carried the colours of Anthony and Victoria Pakenham.

Her trainer enthused: "We're thrilled with the way that Enforce ran. She beat the winner, Lady Gloria, last time at Goodwood but it was a slightly muddling pace today.

"We feel that maybe with a different pace, it could have been a different result because there's only half a length and a short-head in it at the line.

"William (Buick) said that he got a good run through but said that he could have done with a truer pace. But he's also thrilled with her and she's run a brilliant race.

"It's fantastic to get black-type because she's 50 days in-foal to Sir Percy. We'll hopefully take her now to Royal Ascot for the Windsor Forest Stakes."