After a thrilling debut at Sandown recently, Siyola looks ready to test her Oaks credentials in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes.
The filly, owned by Juddmonte, was highly regarded by trainers John and Thady Gosden. Although she missed her track debut as a two-year-old, she made up for it by helping her stablemate Beeley on her Esher bow.
Emily Upjohn of Clarehaven won that Sandown novice event before going on to win the Musidora at York, and Siyola is expected to try to build on the stable's stellar excellent performance in the 10-furlong Group Three race.
“She looked a nice filly and she’s a very well-bred, good-looking filly,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon. “She took a little bit of time to come to hand and I think John and Thady have been pretty sweet on her for quite a while. At the back of our minds, we are thinking to go to York for the Musidora.”
Siyola's connections, who had originally planned to target other races, did not enter her for the Oaks. However, her victory at Sandown guaranteed her a spot in the Epsom Classic, and her Knavesmire performance will determine whether or not she is ready for the challenge of the Surrey Downs.
“We weren’t in the Oaks and initially you are thinking we’re not in it so we don’t have to point that way,” continued Mahon. “But we have the ‘win and you’re in’ now and she needs to run again, so it makes logical sense to go to the Musidora and we will find out if we’re good enough to hold that engagement.”
Though Siyola was being celebrated alongside the Gosdens and the Juddmonte team, on Sunday in Newmarket's Pretty Polly Stakes, Kalpana narrowly lost to Friendly Soul, trained by the Gosdens. Clarehaven was the owners' worst enemy.
The three-year-old, trained by Andrew Balding, lost very little in the thrilling finish to the 10-furlong Listed race.
With her sole loss coming at the hands of 2000 Guineas sixth-place finisher Inisherin, Kalpana's performance demonstrated that her previous wide-margin Newmarket victory was no aberration. She will now be rested in preparation for a potential run at the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.