Elsie’s Ruan is set to target the Betfred May Hill Stakes at Doncaster next week, presenting trainer Gemma Tutty with a promising opportunity for a breakthrough group-level victory.
Tutty, who enjoyed a successful start to the turf season with Look Back Smiling’s win in the Spring Mile, returns to Doncaster with a talented young filly for the St Leger Festival.
After debuting with a win at York, Elsie’s Ruan stepped up to the Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket, where she finished a solid third behind Aidan O’Brien’s Lake Victoria and Charlie Appleby’s Mountain Breeze. The run was encouraging, and the filly emerged from the race in excellent condition, ready to tackle the Group Two contest.
"All being well, we’ll enter her for the May Hill on Friday," Tutty confirmed. "The plan is to go there, and she’s come out of Newmarket really well. She’s fresh and in good form, so as long as everything continues smoothly, the May Hill is the target."
Elsie’s Ruan is also entered for the bet365 Fillies’ Mile later in the year, and the May Hill will mark her first attempt at a mile distance. Tutty and connections are eager to see how she handles the step-up in the trip and are hopeful for a bit of rain, which would benefit her.
"She should appreciate the increase in distance," Tutty added. "She didn’t quite handle the undulations at Newmarket, and Rab (Robert Havlin, jockey) felt she would prefer some cut in the ground. We’ll see if we get any rain, but even without it, the flat track and extra distance should suit her. We’ve always planned to run her at Doncaster, and we’re hopeful it will play to her strengths."
With the May Hill offering a chance to test Elsie’s Ruan at a longer distance, connections are optimistic about her prospects and looking forward to seeing how she performs.