Ffion

Ffion did really well to win the seven-furlong handicap that concluded proceedings on the opening day of Chester’s May meeting from stall 11. Strong in the market beforehand, she was dropped in early on from her outside draw by William Buick. No better than ninth as they raced around the home turn with two and a half furlongs to run, she was checked in her run too as she went for a narrow gap between horses two furlongs out. She had to check again as they straightened up for home in order that she could move into clear sailing on the outside, at which stage the leader Paws For Thought had kicked for home, setting up what looked like an unassailable lead. But once in the clear, Ffion stayed on strongly, widest of all, just getting up to nut dual course winner Paws For Thought on the line.

Ffion is five now, but she is a lightly-raced five-year-old. Unraced at two, David Loughnane’s mare raced just twice as a three-year-old, when she was two for two at Wolverhampton, and she has raced just 11 times now in her life. This was her first win on turf, but she ran some fine races in defeat last season, notably in the Kensington Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, when she just couldn’t get past her stable companion Lola Showgirl, who made all. Her trainer said that that was her likely target again now and, even though she will be eight pounds higher in the handicap, she is a better mare now and she will be of interest again at Royal Ascot and beyond.
Chester, 4^th May 2022