Quiet Reflection in trim for Commonwealth Cup

Costello and Quiet Reflection ease to victory at Haydock. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Dougie Costello is bullish about the chances of Quiet Reflection in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot on Friday and hopes she can reproduce the form she showed when winning impressively at Haydock last month.

The former National Hunt jockey, who has ridden Grade 1 winners at the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree, said: “I had a Ducati 1098 for two years before my daughter came along and my wife made me get rid of it.

“The way Quiet Reflection took off when I pushed the button at Haydock is probably the closest acceleration I’ve ever felt to it since. She was breath-taking and it wasn’t a fluke. If she turns up in the same form, I can’t see her getting beat. I’m over the moon to have an opportunity to ride a filly like her, especially at such a turning point in my career. It’s what dreams are made of.”

Quiet Reflection surged almost four lengths clear of Donjuan Triumphant in the Group Two 188Bet Sandy Landy Stakes at the Lancashire venue, with Buratino (fourth) and La Rioja (fifth) well held.

Quiet Reflection, trained by Karl Burke, had previously won a Group 3 race on heavy going at Chantilly and has now won five of her six career starts.

Jordan Vaughan, the apprentice jockey, partners her at home and Costello said: “Jordan gets on well with her and assures me she’s come out of her last run with flying colours. She’s very laid-back at home and I think she’s just come to herself this year, plus the step up in trip has helped her. You would not be worried about dropping her back to five furlongs but I think six is her best trip.”

The Commonwealth Cup, exclusively for three-year-olds and part of the QIPCO British Champions Series, was run for the first time last year and was won by Muhaarar. It carries prize money of £400,000. Muhaarar went on to win three more Group 1 events and a victory at Ascot in October on QIPCO British Champions Day confirmed his status as champion sprinter.

A quarter of this year’s field of 12 won at last year’s Royal meeting: Buratino (Coventry), Illuminate(Albany) and Washington DC (Windsor Castle Stakes). The latter is trained by Aidan O’Brien, who also runs Waterloo Bridge.

Richard Hannon is represented by Log Out Island and Illuminate. The former made all in striking style in a Listed race at Newbury on his latest start when equipped with a hood for the first time. The latter failed to stay when down the field in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas.

Cheikeljack and Money Maker travel over from France, with the field being completed by Kachy and Dream Dubai.