Sapphire draws clear in British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes

The well-regarded filly Sapphire battled to the front inside the final four hundred meters and drew off late to win the $414,500 British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes (Eng-II) on Saturday at Ascot by 2 1/4 lengths.

With jockey Pat Smullen aboard, Sapphire settled back into mid-pack early on behind a slow pace, then accelerated in the straight to challenge Shirocco Star for the lead. The two fillies engaged in an impressive battle for another hundred meters or so before Sapphire got the better of her rival and draw away late. The final time for twelve furlongs on soft turf was 2:37.32 seconds.

Dancing Star finished 2 3/4 lengths behind Shirocco Star in third, followed by Great Heavens, Semayyel, Testosterone, Was, Jehannedarc, Vow, and La Pomme D'Amour.

The winner is a four-year-old daughter of Medicean out of the Danehill mare Polished Gem. She is trained by Dermot Weld owned by Moyglare Stud Farm.

-Keelerman

QIPCO British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes Entries and Post Positions

Great Heavens, winner of the Irish Oaks (Ire-I) and sixth-place finisher in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I), is expected to be among the favorites in the QIPCO British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes (Eng-II), to be held on Saturday at Ascot.

Other prominent entrants include the fine Galileo filly Was, winner of the Investec Oaks (Eng-I) earlier this year, and Dancing Rain, winner of this race last year but unraced since last November.

QIPCO British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes (Eng-II)
Twelve furlongs on the Ascot turf course

PP	Horse	Jockey	Trainer
1	La Pomme D'Amour	Maxime Guyon	Andre Fabre
2	Shirocco Star	Kieren Fallon	Hughie Morrison
3	Great Heavens	William Buick	John Gosden
4	Sapphire	Pat Smullen	D. K. Weld
5	Was	Joseph O'Brien	Aidan O'Brien
6	Dancing Rain	Johnny Murtagh	William Haggas
7	Vow	Richard Hughes	William Haggas
8	Jehannedarc	Antoine Hamelin	Alain De Royer-Dupre
9	Semayyel	Frederik Tylicki	Clive Brittain
10	Testosterone	Frankie Dettori	Ed Dunlop

-Keelerman