By Emma Berry
On her third appearance at Ascot, Fitzella (Too Darn Hot) set a fierce gallop from the gates and was never headed when winning the G3 Sodexho Princess Margaret Stakes by a length from Staya (Havana Grey).
Bred by Bob and Pauline Scott at Parks Farm Stud, the winner had been beaten only a neck on her debut at the track in May before posting a convincing win at Haydock and then running fourth in the G3 Albany Stakes at the royal meeting.
Fitzella is trained by Hugo Palmer, who outlined his intention to aim her towards the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf at the end of the season.
“She has shown great gate speed today. The first weekend of November is a long way from now so she will definitely run again, and possibly twice, but I wouldn't think more than that. This is her fourth start of the year so I wouldn't want her to have much more than five or six,” said the trainer.
Reflecting on the Albany Stakes, he continued, “Oisin [Murphy] was upset when he came in after the Albany as he felt that he had sat too close to a very strong pace and he did realise and took back, but the damage was done by then. We felt on reflection that it was probably her class that allowed her to finish fourth.
“Today the plan was to hold her up and to race more patiently and to use her finish, but she absolutely pinged the lids so Oisin went straight to Plan B. But it has worked very nicely, he didn't go hard, and it's very exciting.”
A daughter of the Exceed And Excel mare Shamandar, Fitzella is a half-sister to the Listed-placed Admiral Nelson (Kingman) and was bought as a yearling from the Goffs UK Premier Sale for £170,000 by SackvilleDonald and Manor House Stables, where Palmer trains.
Palmer added, “I'm delighted for [her owners] Derek Passant and for Hefin [Williams], who are big supporters or ours and of others – they are big supporters of the game and this is the first group horse they've had. She was an expensive yearling but she was beautiful, and she still is.”
Palmer secured a quick-fire Group 3 double when Cheshire Dancer got the nod in a scintillating four-way finish for the Longines Valiant Stakes.
Billy Loughnane was aboard the four-year-old daughter of Phoenix Of Spain, who came with a late run down the outside to deny the Ed Walker-trained American Gal (Kameko), with Chantilly Lace (Lope De Vega) and Irish raider Jancis (Tamayuz) completing the first four home.
“I was slightly nervous during the race, it wasn't the plan to sit last but they went an even enough gallop and she was really tough,” said Palmer.
“Phoenix Of Spain is a very good young stallion, he notably has Haatem but others as well. I think this is the mare's fifth stakes winner, I think the others were all in Italy, so she is well bred.”
The mare in question is the five-furlong winner Kristal Xenia (Xaar), whose four other black-type performers include Italian Listed winner Cherie Good (Big Bad Bob). Cheshire Dancer was bred by Ciara Eglington, and was another SackvilleDonald purchase, this time at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, where she was bought for €36,000.
Saturday, Ascot, Britain
SODEXO LIVE! PRINCESS MARGARET STAKES-G3, £70,000, Ascot, 7-26, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:13.98, gd.
1–FITZELLA (GB), 128, f, 2, by Too Darn Hot (GB)
1st Dam: Shamandar (Fr) (SW-Eng, $323,503), by Exceed And Excel (Aus)
2nd Dam: Sensational Mover, by Theatrical (Ire)
3rd Dam: Blushing Heiress, by Blushing John
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (60,000gns Wlg '23 TADEWE; £170,000 Ylg '24 GOFFUK). O-D R Passant & Hefin Williams; B-Parks Farm Stud; T-Hugo Palmer; J-Oisin Murphy. £39,697. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $77,760. *1/2 to Admiral Nelson (GB) (Kingman {GB}), SP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Staya (GB), 128, f, 2, Havana Grey (GB)–Greach (Ire), by Gregorian (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (90,000gns Wlg '23 TADEWE; 51,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT; 375,000gns 2yo '25 TATBRE). O-KHK Racing; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud; T-George Scott. £15,050.
3–Bella Lyra (Ger), 128, f, 2, Oasis Dream (GB)–Baden Baden (Ger), by Sea The Moon (Ger). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (£80,000 2yo '25 GOUKB). O-Jastar Capital Ltd; B-Gestut Gorlsdorf; T-Richard Hughes. £7,532.
Margins: 1, HD, 1. Odds: 2.25, 3.50, 14.00.
Also Ran: Midnight Tango (GB), Flowerhead (Ire), Arugam Bay (Ire), Sukanya (GB), Eskimo Pie (Ire), Daneh Of Dandy (Ire), Amberia (Ire). Scratched: Dance To The Music (GB).
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