Crying Lightening

Crying Lightening ran a lot better than her finishing position suggests in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot last Friday. Drawn in stall 16 of the 22 runners, she raced in the far side group but towards the middle of the track, which was the slowest part of the track all week. Niggled along at half way, one of the first fillies to come off the bridle, she responded well for pressure and ran on through horses still out towards the centre of the track. She finished only sixth overall, but she was second of those who raced on the far side, and she finished best of all, just a length behind Emma’s Gift, who led the far side group home.

This was just Crying Lightening’s second ever run. The Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained filly had won her maiden over five furlongs at Leicester on her racecourse debut in early June, picking up impressively inside the final furlong after starting slowly and displaying signs of greenness, in a race from which the third filly, Catalinas Diamond, came out and ran a cracker to finish fifth in the Queen Mary as an unconsidered 100/1 shot. Crying Lightening is a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor out of a Chester House mare who won over a mile at two, so it was no surprise that she improved for stepping up to six furlongs here, and she should improve again for stepping up to seven or perhaps even a mile, given how well she stayed on after getting outpaced. She could be good enough to contest the good fillies races over seven furlongs or a mile later in the season, and she could be under-rated next time with a six next to her name.

18th June 2010

© The Irish Field, 26th June 2010