Star Of Mystery won the Listed Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' Stakes (6f) for Godolphin in impressive fashion in this afternoon’s opening race at Newmarket.
The Empress Fillies' Stakes has seen its fair share of high-class performers, including last year's winner Lezoo, a subsequent Group 1 winner. Coming into the race, this daughter of Kodiac was the hot odds-on favourite having won at Haydock in impressive fashion last month. Despite not having the most successful week at Royal Ascot, Charlie Appleby sent out a strong team with this filly winning the competitive Listed contest.
Star Of Mystery broke well out of stall three and was kept down the near side throughout the race by jockey William Buick. She took a keen hold early but that far from hindered her as she moved past rivals with ease, reaching the front with a furlong to go. William Buick asked for a bit more from the filly entering the final furlong and the response was immediate moving further clear with every stride up towards the line.
The daughter of Kodiac was eased at the line and finished a comfortable four-lengths clear of the Jonathan Portman-trained Cry Fiction (40/1). Unbreak My Heart (12/1) was a further four lengths back in third.
Appleby won the 2019 renewal with Summer Romance and said regarding the performance: "It was pleasing. Pedigree-wise, she is from a speed-on-speed family. We came here today confident that she would come forward for that run at Haydock.
"I know at the time when she got beat the winner was well fancied that day and it was a big ask for that horse to go to Ascot and it didn't materialise unfortunately.
"We then went to Haydock, and we probably felt we hadn't beaten a great deal but when you win by 11 lengths it is still a very impressive performance.
"Physically she has done well since then. Is she a Guineas filly? No, unless they shorten it by a couple of furlongs. I feel it would be wrong to train her like that.
"She is a set little model, and we will crack on as we are. She is doing well and we will be positive with her this year."
As for future targets Appleby earmarked the Group 1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes on the Rowley Mile in October as a long-term aim.
He added: "The natural route would be to work back from a Cheveley Park realistically. I'm not going to say where we will go next but that is the target.
"If she can do what we hope she can achieve in the Cheveley Park we will be delighted."
Paddy Power cut Star of Mystery to 14/1 from 33/1 for next year's 1000 Guineas.
