Lady Aurelia given European targets

Lady Aurelia won the Queen Mary Stakes in devastating fashion. (picture: Racingfotos.com)

The co-owner of Queen Mary winner Lady Aurelia has suggested that the American superstar could be campaigned mainly in Europe this term.

George Bolton, who co-owns the filly with Peter Leidel and Stonestreet Stables, told www.bloodhorse.com that her season plans would depend on whether she can stay further than six furlongs.

Having won over four and a half furlongs in her native United States, Wesley Ward’s charge travelled to Royal Ascot to land the five furlong Queen Mary Stakes under Frankie Dettori in blistering fashion.

She then stepped up an extra furlong in trip to land the Darley Prix Morny at Deauville, but came unstuck at Newmarket next time out when she seemed to tire in the final furlong of the Cheveley Park Stakes to finish third behind Brave Anna and Roly Poly.

A repeat of visits to Ascot – where she would likely contest the King’s Stand Stakes this year – and France could well be on the cards again, after a preparation race back home for the daughter of Scat Daddy.

“She’s doing great. I think the strategy is race-by-race this year,” Bolton told www.bloodhorse.com.

“I think we want to race at Keeneland and then go over to one of the races at Ascot. Then I don’t know what the rest of the year is like-whether she would come back over to the States to finish her year or go back over (to Europe) to keep running.

“I think what is on everyone’s mind is whether she is a stretch-out filly or a five-six furlong turf sprinter. If that is the case, I think that will determine the rest of the year. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t be surprised if she went back over there for the rest of the year.”

Lady Aurelia made history last year when she became the first American horse to win a Cartier Award for her success in the two-year-old division.

“I thought it was really nice that the writers on both continents said … she was deserving,” Bolton added. “They both said this filly is serious. It’s nice that the writers didn’t just look at the last race and looked at the whole résumé. And it was a gutsy schedule.

“It wasn’t like we played Boise State. It was like we went to Notre Dame for the opening game, then we went to visit Michigan, then Ohio State.

“People forget, she got on a plane, went to Royal Ascot, came back to Kentucky, then went back to France, then went to England and trained and ran there. Last January, when we thought about bringing a horse to Royal Ascot, I kept saying to (Stonestreet owner) Barbara (Banke) if we’re going to do this, let’s find one that really fits. And this Scat Daddy filly is the one.”

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