€1.1 million Arqana sale-topper Lex Victoria rules on debut at Newmarket

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Lex Victoria arrived at Newmarket on Saturday with a point to prove before making a winning debut in the Tattersalls £40,000 EBF Newcomers' "Confined" Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

The Sioux Nation filly was, at €1,100,000, the most expensive individual to have been bought from any of the European breeze-up sales this spring when knocked down to bloodstock agent Anthony Stroud at Arqana.

The filly bred by Oliver Pawle was another tremendous result for Roderic Kavanagh’s Glending Stables having been pinhooked for 98,000gns from Book 3 of last year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. 

Lex Victoria, a daughter of Listed-winning sprinter Porthilly, carries the colours of Victorious Racing in a partnership with another eminent Bahraini owner, Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa. 

She needed a bit of a wake up from David Probert but Simon and Ed Crisford’s runner outpointed a newcomer from the John and Thady Gosden stable, the well-bred Mehmas filly Thi Qar, by a neck. Watch Party, a runner for high-profile US owner Mike Repole, showed some ability in third.

Victorious Racing was the most notable buyer at the breeze-ups this time around, through Stroud. It has the Tattersalls Craven Sale 900,000gns topper, Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes winner Senorita Bonita as well as Mrair, who led the way at the Goffs event at Doncaster at £880,000 and is also a winner.

Inner City Blues, who was second in the Arqana standings at €900,000, is already a Group 2 winner for Godolphin in the July Stakes.

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