Musical Times overcame traffic problems to maintain her unbeaten record in the bet365 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket. Charlie Appleby's youngster had looked a top-class prospect in winning her first two starts on the July Course and at Yarmouth, and completed her hat-trick with a facile victory in the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster last month.
Subsequent 1000 Guineas heroine Desert Flower completed the May Hill-Fillies' Mile double two years ago for Appleby and William Buick, and Musical Times was the 4/9 favourite to follow suit. It was not entirely straightforward for odds-on backers, with Buick struggling to find a gap, but once the split came she quickly went through the gears to beat Aidan O'Brien's Haven by a length.
Appleby said: "After two furlongs we just had to hold our breath a little bit and see what was happening, but William was on the class filly in the race and he knew it himself. He was just trying to find those gaps and when he did she quickened up smartly." He added that she had to work hard but would have learned plenty, and that the fillies division is strong this year, though most of the rivals look like sprinters while this filly sees out the mile well.
Musical Times was cut to 5/2 from 4/1 with BOYLE Sports for next year's 1000 Guineas. Appleby said she was entitled to be one of the favourites for the Guineas, describing her as a miler through and through with plenty of natural pace. He said the filly will be given a racecourse gallop before heading to the Guineas, and that she could possibly stay further but does not need to be a proper mile-and-a-half horse.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing