Lady Aurelia could stay in training for two more years

Dettori also saluted after Lady Aurelia won the Queen Mary last year – though she had seven lengths in hand on that occasion. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Wesley Ward has confirmed that Lady Aurelia will stay in training next year and has suggested she may even race on for two more seasons.

The rapid American filly was caught on the line and beaten a nose to Marsha in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday, having previously won the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in great style.

Lady Aurelia will return to America at the end of this week and have one more run this campaign, in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint 4 at Del Mar on November 4.

“We’ll look forward to the Breeders’ Cup then [will] put her away,” Ward told Racing UK. “[Owners] Barbara Banke (of Stonestreet Stables) and Peter Leidel have committed to running her next year and possibly the year after that. It’s good for racing to have a filly of this quality to keep going. Hopefully, she can maintain her form to where she runs such great races.”

Keeneland-based Ward believes Lady Aurelia thinks she won the Nunthorpe.

He said: “They do know. If they’re running hard and they’re in front and then somebody blows by them, the next day they’re kinda like ears back, dejected and sad almost. But the ones that win are the opposite. Their ears are up; they come out of the stall bouncing. She really thinks she won.”

Frankie Dettori saluted the crowd at the end of the Group One showpiece at York, only for his joy to turn to dejection moments later.

Ward said: “I thought for a second that she might have won when Frankie was so confident. The filly that won it, she ran a valiant race to run us down. She was very courageous to come and get what I believe is the fastest horse in the world. I was proud Lady Aurelia made such a tremendous effort back to back from here in the spring at Keeneland to Ascot to that race.”