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Amo Racing's Enchanting Empress looks to have booked her ticket for the Royal meeting in June with a gutsy performance in the Royal Ascot Two-Year-Old Trial on Wednesday.
The Dominic Ffrench Davis-trained filly made a winning start to her career at Wolverhampton last month and proved she was capable of taking on the boys when fending off impressive debut French scorer Rock Hunter.
The well-backed Clive Cox newcomer Diligently travelled up powerfully towards the centre of the track but as his effort petered out, it was soon left between Enchanting Empress and Rock Hunter to fight out the finish.
Neither filly nor colt looked like giving up the battle as the pair set down for a ding-dong fight up the Ascot straight, but it would be Enchanting Empress who would just prove the strongest under David Egan, coming home a head in front of her nearest pursuer.
Sex On Fire made up some eye-catching ground to grab the third spot.
The daughter of Sergei Prokofiev, who has made a sparkling start to his career as a stallion, looks set to step up in trip with her trainer eyeing up the Albany Stakes back at the Berkshire venue in June.
He said: "I think she's done enough to come back to Ascot, but I think she is more of an Albany filly than a Queen Mary filly.
"She will definitely get six and will probably go further in time. It's a fast pedigree, but she was behind the bridle at Wolverhampton, and she was behind the bridle a little bit again today.
"She's as tough as old boots and she answered when David asked her, so I think the Albany is probably her target.
"She's probably done enough for now and you don't want to overrace these fillies. We'll keep her fresh for Ascot."
The winning rider David Egan added: "If she does come back to Ascot, I'd say six furlongs would be the more obvious trip.
"She's not the most strong-travelling filly and you need that when you have the likes of the Wesley Ward horses, who would go a lot quicker than we did just there.
"She'd be more comfortable over six."
Unibet introduced the winner at 12/1 to their Albany Stakes market.
