Blockley sweet on Lady
Thursday 10th April, 2008
Paul Blockley hopes that Lady Deauvillewill run a big race in the Leslie Harrison Memorial Nell Gwyn Stakes, en route to a possible tilt at the stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas.
The three-year-old filly was a Listed winner over seven furlongs at Newbury in October and rounded off her season with a good victory in the Listed Prix Zeddann at Fontainebleau on November 20.
Blockley commented: "Lady Deauville has been entered in the Leslie Harrison Memorial Nell Gwyn Stakes, and she will take her chance providing the ground is not too fast.
“I’d like her to get a good toe in, but good ground will be all right. She will also be entered at Newbury next week, but I would prefer to let her get a feel of Newmarket anyway.
"She finished three-quarters of a length second to Muthabara on her second start in a Listed race at Sandown, so that’s not bad form. Her Listed win at Newbury, where she beat the seriousquitters.co.uk Rockfel Stakes runner-up Missit, was another good run.
"We took her to France because, being a French-bred, she gets the extra prize money and she really enjoyed the soft ground out there. She wintered well and I am very happy with her.
"I’m still living the dream with her and hope she will prove to be a good Group horse this year. She wants a mile and we’ll have to see about her stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas entry after she races next week, but it’s the plan at the moment."
A total of 24 fillies have been entered for the Leslie Harrison Memorial Nell Gwyn Stakes, including John Dunlop’s Listed winner Muthabara, who jointly heads the market at 5/1 with the sponsors for the stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas.