By Tom Frary
Palace Pier has got off to a highly encouraging start at stud and his daughter Royal Fixation took it to the next level on Thursday when winning York's G2 Lowther Stakes. Runner-up in the G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket's July Festival, Opulence Thoroughbreds' 5-2 joint-favourite had to come from off the pace under William Buick to get the other joint market-leader America Queen (Havana Grey) but was in command from the furlong pole en route to a length success.
“She's very straightforward and did well in the circumstances at Newmarket, where we thought she could have won had we ridden her closer,” Buick said of the Ed Walker-trained winner. “My filly always had more to give and was green in front, if anything. I think she's a good filly and is probably improving all the time.”
Walker added, “We've always thought a lot of her and she ran a huge race at Newmarket. It's been a really long six weeks since then, we've let her down and had to build her back up and then you start wondering if you've got it right or is she too fresh. She's so good, what is exciting is that she still looked a bit green off the bridle, when he first asked her she just wandered around a bit.”
“She'll get further, for sure, but she won't go to the Fillies' Mile, I think we'll go to the Cheveley Park,” he added. “She's quick, she's got loads of speed, she's got a very fast female line and I think she'd be too keen over a mile at the moment.”
Richard Hughes said of America Queen, “She can only improve. Ryan [Moore] just had to commit probably 50 yards earlier than he would have liked and you're there to be shot at on an inexperienced horse, but she's run a blinder and we can't ask for more. The winner is a good filly and they opened up on the field, which is good. I'm gutted, but pleased.”
A right ROYAL result
Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes runner-up makes amends in Group 2 @SkyBet Lowther Stakes.@edwalkerracing | @WilliamBuickX pic.twitter.com/mSu5MB9ViJ
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 21, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Royal Fixation's G3 Prix du Bois and G3 Prix de Cabourg-placed dam Fixette (Kodiac), whose yearling filly by Havana Grey is due to sell at the upcoming Tattersalls October Book 2, is also responsible for the Listed Prix la Fleche winner The Fixer (No Nay Never). Her Moyglare Stud family includes the Montjeu's G1 Sydney Cup and G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Gallante and the G3 Silbernes Pferd and Listed Salsabil Stakes winner Silence Please (Gleneagles).
She descends from the Matron and Spinaway-winning champion Talking Picture, which links her to the top-class mother and daughter Trusted Partner (Affirmed) and Dress To Thrill (Danehill), as well as Galileo's Kyprios and Search For A Song and High Chaparral's Free Eagle who all made their mark at the highest level. Interestingly, the dynasty also features last year's Queen Mary heroine Leovanni (Kodi Bear) who was third in this race.
Thursday, York, Britain
SKY BET LOWTHER STAKES-G2, £250,000, York, 8-21, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:11.27, g/f.
1–ROYAL FIXATION (GB), 128, f, 2, by Palace Pier (GB)
1st Dam: Fixette (Ire) (MGSP-Fr), by Kodiac (GB)
2nd Dam: Fixed Gaze, by Speightstown
3rd Dam: Unique Pose (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (180,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT). O-Opulence Thoroughbreds; B-D J Weston; T-Ed Walker; J-William Buick. £141,775. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $224,727. *1/2 to The Fixer (Ire) (No Nay Never), SW-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–America Queen (Ire), 128, f, 2, Havana Grey (GB)–Misscomplacent (GB), by Compton Place (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€48,000 Wlg '23 GOFNOF; €180,000 2yo '25 TATBRU). O-Jaber Abdullah; B-Littlejohn Bloodstock Ltd; T-Richard Hughes. £53,750.
3–Staya (GB), 128, f, 2, Havana Grey (GB)–Greach (Ire), by Gregorian (Ire). (90,000gns Wlg '23 TADEWE; 51,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT; 375,000gns 2yo '25 TATBRE). O-Victorious Forever; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud; T-George Scott. £26,900.
Margins: 1, 2, 2HF. Odds: 2.50, 2.50, 3.33.
Also Ran: Dandana (GB), Mood Queen (Ire), Argentine Tango (GB), Pearl Fortune (Ire), Wor Faayth (Ire), Timeforshowcasing (GB), Secret Hideaway (Ire), Come On Eibhlin (Ire).
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