Naas triumph has Sky Majesty camp thinking big

The three-year-old daughter of Blue Point won both a Group Three and a Group Two as a juvenile and was not too far away from the action when eighth in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Connections felt the prevailing quick ground at the royal meeting was perhaps not to her liking and she showed her true colours back on an easier surface after being sent to Ireland earlier this week, claiming a smart victory in the Yeomanstown Stud Irish EBF Stakes for trainer William Haggas.

Sean Graham, racing manager to co-owner Tony Bloom, said: “We thought she ran well in the Commonwealth Cup, Tom Marquand said she probably wasn’t letting herself down properly on the very quick ground at Ascot.

“Her best run last year, when she won a Group Two, was in France and that was on heavy ground, so we were delighted when the ground was on the easy side at Naas.

“The first couple of races showed a draw bias, you wanted to be drawn high, so we were slightly worried when she was drawn in (stall) two but in fairness to Tom, he got out of the stalls very quickly and I think that made all the difference.”

Sky Majesty was saddled with a penalty at Naas and will encounter similar burdens in races of a similar level, which may push a move towards top-level events when the ground softens.

“She won well there and there are a few options for her now, we’ll wait and see how she comes out of the race and we’d be keen to avoid very quick ground with her again,” said Graham.

“We’re getting rain but nowhere near as much as we need. She carried a 7lb penalty at Naas because she’s a Group Two winner, that makes you want to go for a Group Three but she’d probably still have to carry a penalty.

“We may have to pick and choose where we run her but hopefully she makes into a filly that could run in Group Ones on soft ground at the end of the year.

“We don’t want to get too carried away, but it might have done her confidence a bit of good to get her head back in front again.

“William Haggas is a genius at keeping these fillies ticking over and finding races for them to win so that’s what we hope to do.”