Mittens

Mittens ran better than her finishing position in fifth place suggests in the one-mile listed fillies’ race at Ascot last Friday that was won by On Her Toes.

The New Approach filly was further back than ideal in a race that was not run at a strong pace. She did have daylight in the home straight, she wasn’t caught in traffic, but she gave away ground by going wide around the home turn, and it was difficult to make ground into the quickening pace. Although she only finished fifth, she was beaten a total of just a length and a half, and she was closing gradually all the way to the line in a race in which the first three home all raced prominently.

Sir Michael Stoute’s filly is probably more a galloper than a quickener over a mile at this level on this evidence. She is talented though, and she is progressive. She had won her previous two races before last Friday, and she had been impressive in winning on the latter occasion, coming nicely clear of her rivals in a decent fillies’ handicap run over Ascot’s straight mile. The handicapper raised her by 10lb for that win to a mark of 97, but she proved on Friday that she was deserving of that type of hike, that she belongs in listed grade at least. Indeed, the handicapper raised her by another 2lb for Friday’s run.

It will be interesting to see Khalid Abdullah’s filly now back in a more truly-run race. She stays a mile well, and it may not be insignificant that two of her three victories to date have been gained on straight tracks. She holds an entry in a listed fillies’ race at Haydock this Saturday and, as long as there is a strong pace, she could go well in that. She will also be of interest when she races again over a straight mile, ideally over a straight mile at Ascot, where she put up the most impressive performance of her career to date.

28^th July 2017