Pandora’s Gift may be heading for more American adventures after narrowly missing out in the Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes over the weekend.
Trained by Stuart Williams, the Churchill filly travelled to the U.S. to compete in the Grade Two event in Erie, Pennsylvania, following an encouraging third-place finish in the Group Three Ballyogan Stakes at Naas in late August.
Earlier this year, she secured three victories on all-weather surfaces, including the Listed Chelmer Fillies’ Stakes, so she was familiar with synthetic tracks before making the trip.
Under Ben Curtis, she put in a strong performance at Presque Isle Downs, taking the lead as they turned for home, only to be narrowly edged out by the fast-finishing Roses For Debra.
Despite the close loss, Williams was proud of her effort, and if she recovered well, there could be more opportunities for her in the U.S.
“I was delighted with her performance; it was a really brave effort,” he said. “Some things didn’t go quite as we expected during the race, but we were still very pleased. The winner broke the track record, and we were only a neck behind. There are a few races we could target out there. We’ll see how she is over the next few days and how she trains before making any decisions.”
“We’re considering stakes races at Keeneland and Aqueduct, which are at Grade Two and Three levels. The prize money is significantly better than what she could earn here, and the ground has become unsuitable for her; she really prefers fast ground. That’s why we planned to go to America, to get her on a quicker surface.”