By Tom Frary
Paying a big compliment to her Listed Pretty Polly Stakes conqueror Falakeyah on Saturday, TBT Racing's Qilin Queen booked her ticket to the Oaks in Newbury's Listed Childwickbury Stud Fillies' Trial Stakes. Quickly placed on the lead by Hollie Doyle, the Ed Walker-trained daughter of Pinatubo had to battle late to get to the line in front of the Lawn Stud homebred Revoir but proved up to the task to score by a short head as the 18-5 second favourite.
The runner-up, a daughter of Study Of Man who also holds an Oaks entry and was having only her second start and first of the campaign, was half a length in front of the 100-30 market-leader Sand Gazelle, the daughter of Frankel who had also finished behind Falakeyah in the Pretty Polly.
“The plan was to go to the Pretty Polly then the Oaks and I was actually really disappointed,” Walker revealed. “Owen Burrows' filly is very good and obviously went strong fractions which we couldn't live with, so I think if all is well we will probably roll the dice at Epsom. She is very game and she will stay well. She is very athletic and she has got speed as well. She is not a dour stayer, so I think tactically she will suit Epsom.”
“She wasn't very good in the preliminaries on 1,000 Guineas day and whether it was freshness or whatever, I wanted to bring her to the racetrack again and she was much better today,” he added. “She is still a bit buzzy, but that is her and her at home. Oaks day is quieter than Derby day, so she will be alright.”
Just held on!
Qilin Queen sees off Revoir to win a thriller at @NewburyRacing for @HollieDoyle1 and @edwalkerracing… pic.twitter.com/T6uFOGiqcE
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 17, 2025
Sea The Stars' Seagull, who has also produced the Australian Listed scorer Monbaher by Muhaarar, is a half to Galileo's G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Nightime who is in turn responsible for the multiple Group 1-winning sire Ghaiyyath and the GI Man O'War Stakes heroine Zhukova. The latter has produced the G2 Al Maktoum Classic winner Imperial Emperor by Ghaiyyath's sire Dubawi, while the family also features the GI Sword Dancer Invitational hero King's Drama. Seagull's yearling filly is by Naval Crown.
CHILDWICKBURY STUD FILLIES TRIAL STAKES-Listed, £75,000, Newbury, 5-17, 3yo, f, 10fT, 2:05.66, g/f.
1–QILIN QUEEN (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Pinatubo (Ire)
1st Dam: Seagull (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Caumshinaun (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Ridge Pool (Ire), by Bluebird
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. (280,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-TBT Racing; B-Mrs T Mahon (IRE); T-Ed Walker; J-Hollie Doyle. £42,533. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-2, $104,558. *1/2 to Monbaher (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}), SW-Aus, $202,371.
2–Revoir (GB), 128, f, 3, Study Of Man (Ire)–Regardez (GB), by Champs Elysees (GB).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Mr J H Richmond-Watson; B-Lawn Stud (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. £16,125.
3–Sand Gazelle (GB), 128, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Desirous (GB), by Kingman (GB).
1ST BLACK TYPE. (425,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-The Thoroughbred Racing Corporation Ltd; B-Mr Faisal Meshrf Al Qahtani (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £8,070.
Margins: SHD, HF, 2. Odds: 3.60, 10.00, 3.30.
Also Ran: Protest (GB), Ecstatic (Jpn), Likealot (GB), Bintabuha (Ire), Wonder Star (GB), Cecilia Star (Ire), Winter's Song (GB).
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