Lilt (GB)

Friday's Listed Michael Seely Memorial Fillies' Stakes at York was a Coronation Stakes trial in all but name and there was a clear-cut winner in James Wigan's Lilt (Lope De Vega) with Royal Ascot looming. Coming into the deep mile contest off a Doncaster maiden in October, the 13-2 shot was delivered with a telling surge by Tom Marquand to overwhelm Cheveley Park Stud's upwardly-mobile So Regal (Kingman) and score by 1 1/2 lengths. There was another two lengths back to Nurlan Bizakov's unbeaten Botagoz (Mehmas) in third. "She was a...

Soft ground at Doncaster on Friday meant that times were distinctly unimpressive, but a filly with a future shone through in Lilt (Lope De Vega). A daughter of James Wigan's star mare Dank (Dansili), the William Haggas-trained newcomer was allowed to saunter along on the front end by Cieren Fallon and when threatened by Hollywell Stream (Lope De Vega) gave more to seal a cosy neck success. "She had given me a nice feel at home and had a freebie there," the rider said of the daughter of the Breeders' Cup Filly...