Facile G2 Queen Mary S. victrix Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) will not follow the path taken by last year's winner of the race, Acapulco (Scat Daddy), by following up in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York's Ebor Meeting. Acapulco was beaten two lengths into second in the Nunthorpe by Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) when carrying 24lbs less than the winner.
Trainer Wesley Ward confirmed the news to viewers of Channel 4 Racing's Morning Line, saying, “Her eyes are bright, her ears are pricked and she ate up everything. We tried to win the Nunthorpe with a 2-year-old filly last year and, even getting all the weight, Acapulco couldn't do it.”
He added, “Acapulco is a big filly, Lady Aurelia is small. At this stage, I'd prefer to keep her against her own age group. We'll go down a more conventional route, as conventional as it can be for an American in Europe, and take her to the Prix Morny at Deauville, like we did with No Nay Never.”
Lady Aurelia became Ward's sixth winner at Royal Ascot, and his third in the Queen Mary S. since 2009, and he has further chances in today's G3 Albany S. with Create A Dream (Oasis Dream {GB}), while Undrafted (Purim) seeks to retain his crown in tomorrow's G1 Diamond Jubilee S.
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