By Tom Frary
One of the choicest-bred horses running on the opening day of Newmarket's Craven meeting, Godolphin's Victory Queen (GB) (Kingman {GB}) made her class tell first time in the fillies' mile maiden. Sent off at 10-3, the Charlie Appleby-trained half-sister to the 2,000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace Stakes hero Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) raced freely towards the front end from the outset. Committed by William Buick running down into the dip, the homebred asserted to score by a fast-diminishing half-length margin from Zgharta (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}).
“It's her first and run and she was learning on the job a bit, but she's done it all quite smoothly,” Charlie Appleby's assistant Alex Merriam said. “She was up against a few more experienced horses and on this ground especially I think it's an advantage if you'd had a run, so hopefully she'll improve for it. Speaking to Charlie there I think we'll probably find another novice for her and just creep away and see how we go, nothing too exciting yet.”
The G3 Oh So Sharp Stakes-winning dam is out of Eastern Joy (GB) (Dubai Destination), who has proven a prolific producer for the operation with Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}), Ihtimal (Ire) (Shamardal) and Always Smile (Ire) Cape Cross {Ire}) the pick of her progeny. Also featuring in the family is the G1 Prix de Diane Hermes heroine West Wind (GB) (Machiavellian).
6th-Newmarket, £22,000, Mdn, 4-15, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:44.58, g/s.
VICTORY QUEEN (GB) (f, 3, Kingman {GB}–First Victory {Ire} {GSW-Eng}, by Teofilo {Ire}) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $14,956.
O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby.
✅ Daughter of Kingman
✅ Half-sister to 2000 Guineas hero Coroebus
✅ Winning debut🔵 Nice from Victory Queen at HQ pic.twitter.com/4Y23pK9k03
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 15, 2025
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