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The £376,500 Group One QIPCO 1000 Guineas (3.15pm), run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on Sunday, May 6, has attracted 18 runners
Photo by Racing and Sports
The final field for the first fillies' Classic of the season includes the well supported ante-post favourite Maybe, who rounded off an unbeaten juvenile campaign with a smooth victory in the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes in August.
The daughter of Galileo and her stablemate Homecoming Queen, who won the Leopardstown 1,000 Guineas Trial in April, will be bidding to give their trainer Aidan O'Brien a second success in the race after Virginia Waters' runaway victory in 2005.
Mahmood Al Zarooni will attempt to land back-to-back QIPCO 1000 Guineas after declaring Group One Shadwell Fillies' Mile scorer Lyric Of Light and the highly-touted Discourse, who hasn't been seen since winning Group Three german-thoroughbred.com Sweet Solera Stakes on the July Course impressively in August.
Mashoora will be flying the flag for France after her easy success in the Group Three Prix Imprudence at Maisons-Laffitte in April, while unbeaten Moonstone Magic, who was supplemented on Monday at a cost of £30,000, will bid to give Ralph Beckett his first success in the race.
Charlie Hills will be saddling his first runner in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas with Gray Pearl, who won her maiden at Newbury in August before finishing third at Newmarket in the Group Two Vision.ae Rockfel Stakes, while Mick Channon will be represented by Laugh Out Loud and Group One Premio Gran Criterium winner Nayarra.
William Haggas runs Newmarket maiden victor Diala, while John Gosden will be represented by Lanwades Stud Nell Gwynn Stud Stakes fourth Starscope and the once raced maiden winner The Fugue.
Simon Marsh, racing manager to The Fugue's owners Lord and Lady Lloyd-Webber, said today: “The Fugue is very well. She has obviously only run the once and it's her first start of the year, but hopefully she will give a good account of herself.
“Her preparation has gone smoothly and she is ready to run.
“She will definitely stay the trip, but she has got a beautiful action and I think everyone would prefer the ground to be good.”
The Dansili filly, generally a 20/1 chance, won a seven-furlong Newmarket maiden well on October 29.
Kevin Prendergast will be relying on La Collina, who beat the boys when storming home to win the Group One Phoenix Stakes in August, to give him his first success in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, while Group One Jaguar Cars Cheveley Park Stakes winner Lightening Pearl will be Ger Lyons' first runner in a British Classic.
The field is completed by Jim Bolger's Alla Speranza, Lily's Angel (Richard Fahey), Radio Gaga (Ed McMahon), who finished second in the Group Three Dubai Duty Free Stakes on her reappearance, and Sunday Times (Peter Chapple-Hyam).
Sunday, May 6 is day two of the 2012 QIPCO Guineas Festival and also features the £55,000 Group Three Qatar Bloodstock Dahlia Stakes (2.35pm, 7 runners) and the £40,000 Listed Tweenhills Pretty Polly Stakes (5.00pm, 11 runners), a trial for the Investec Oaks at Epsom Downs.