Aylin (11/4F) paid back some of her 600,000gns purchase price with a ready success for Karl Burke in the Tatler British EBF Fillies’ Maiden over seven furlongs.
The St Mark’s Basilica filly shaped with promise on her debut over a furlong shorter at York earlier this month, when she was headed in the closing strides by Bosa Nova.
With David Egan in the saddle again, Aylin went one better in dominant fashion, coming clear late on to score by almost three lengths. Isle Of Fernandez (22/1) was second, with Ice Sovereigns (12/1) faring best of the newcomers in third.
Burke said: “We have always thought a lot of Aylin and she has some fancy entries. We left her in the Lowther a couple of days ago, just in case we were wrong thinking she wanted stepping up in trip. We have had three favourites beaten this week – important owners today, so I was a little bit nervous. When the rain came, I wasn’t so sure about the ground, but I got reminded St Mark’s Basilica handled heavy and the dam won on heavy, so they were very keen to let her take her chance.
“David said she was very professional and had learnt a lot from the first run, when she was quite green, jumped left out of the stalls, and then raced with the choke out. To be fair, she was probably the best filly in the race at York, but she got tired in the last 100 yards after doing things the wrong way round. Today, she was very relaxed and professional.
“Going into the autumn, if the ground does turn up soft, we can go there with a bit of confidence. There is the Prestige Stakes back here that we won [with Darnation] the year before last. David said Aylin handled the track beautifully, so that would be high on my list and timing wise it would be perfect.”
Egan said: “Early in the spring, when I went up to Mr Burke’s, we talked about Aylin a lot compared to some of the others. Obviously, she is a very well bred, expensive St Mark’s Basilica, but I sat on her a couple of times at home and she showed plenty of class. She was always going to be a backend two-year-old onto a three-year-old, because she is quite scopey.
“At York, on another day, we probably could have won. I felt she showed plenty of immaturity. She got to the front with plenty of ease but just sort of climbed and had a look around. She was beaten by an experienced rival, who was carrying a penalty, and who probably knuckled down and out-gritted her as much as anything. It was purely due to her inexperience rather than her ability.
“Aylin was a lot more mentally sound today. She went down to the start nice and relaxed and got into a lovely rhythm. I loved the way she took me into the race and made up two lengths to grab the rail first. She showed a lot of class to get through difficult conditions for such young horses. She stayed the trip well and is going to get further.”
Shane Gray said of Isle Of Fernandez: “It rode a good race and that was a cracking run. She galloped all the way to the line.”
Ice Sovereigns’ trainer Charlie Johnston said: “She is a lovely filly, but she hated the ground and William (Buick) wasn’t too hard on her. She is a filly with a bright future. We like her.”