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With Royal Ascot fast approaching, this week’s Throwback Thursday looks at arguably one of the best juvenile performances seen at the Royal meeting…
2016 – Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes
1st – Lady Aurelia
2nd – Al Johrah
3rd – Clem Fandango
Wesley Ward's juveniles have taken the Royal meeting by storm in the last decade and Lady Aurelia was no exception. She was first seen on the racetrack at Keeneland, where the Ward horses are based all-year-round, and impressed with a seven-and-a-half length victory in a fillies' special weight maiden over 4½f.
With Ascot favourite Frankie Dettori booked to ride, Lady Aurelia was sent off the 2/1 favourite for the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes. As expected from the American horses, the filly jumped smartly and took the lead with the field grouping together down the centre of the course. Dettori asked Lady Aurelia to quicken a furlong out and the filly responded with a devastating turn of foot, drawing further clear of the field with every stride. At the line, she was seven lengths ahead of the second-placed Al Johrah with Clem Fandango a further two-and-a-half lengths back in third.
Lady Aurelia remained in Europe for the remainder of her juvenile campaign, winning the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville before a shock defeat in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. Twelve months after her success in the Queen Mary Stakes, Lady Aurelia returned to Royal Ascot as a well-fancied Group 1 King's Stand Stakes runner against older horses and produced another impressive victory.
She was retired to stud following a disappointing run in the 2018 King's Stand Stakes and her first foal, named American Rascal, was an impressive winner on his debut at Keeneland. The Curlin colt heads to the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at the 2023 Royal Ascot meeting with the intention of emulating his dam.