After a flawless debut at Yarmouth last week, the upcoming few weeks may be crucial in determining the highly anticipated Run Away's next move.
When she went through the sales ring as a yearling, the daughter of No Nay Never, sister to Aidan O'Brien's Prix Morny and Middle Park hero Blackbeard, demanded a €2.6 million fee.
She was a showpiece purchase made during the 2022 sales season as part of Saleh Al Homaizi’s over £20 million spending binge on behalf of the Derby-winning owner. However, there was a sting in the story as payment was not received.
The three-year-old was then taken up by a joint venture between Qatar Racing, Ecurie des Monceaux, and David Howden. She trained under Andrew Balding, and her early assessment was well justified as she persevered to achieve an impressive debut victory.
Though her handler at Kingsclere is not in a rush to make a decision, expectations are high that she will mature into a stakes-level filly for connections.
Balding said: “I was thrilled with it for the first effort. We have always liked her at home and she has a bright future. I hope she is a stakes filly, but time will tell. I’m not sure what we will do next, but everything is in the mix at the moment – it will depend on how she works and we will decide in a fortnight’s time.”
Longtime weighing room ally of Balding At Yarmouth, the steerer was Oisin Murphy, and he was duly impressed with the way the filly dug in to secure the win when both Red Pixie and Cat Ninja challenged her in the final moments.
Murphy said: “She obviously has a very good pedigree and she’s a good-bodied filly, a beautiful filly. She probably didn’t really know what to do in front, but I was delighted that when I asked her a question she put her head down and battled. I hope she’s a stakes filly, obviously she has a long way to go. She didn’t run to a huge level, but hopefully her ideal conditions will be a bit later in the season with more juice in the ground and I think she will definitely get a mile.”