George Boughey keeps faith in Believing as Listed winner handed Group 1 target

Group 1 targets lie on the horizon for progressive sprinter Believing after she bounced back to form with success in the Listed Flying Fillies' Stakes.

A Group 3 winner in May, the three-year-old threw away her chance of landing Group 2 honours a month later when rearing in the stalls and losing several lengths in the Prix du Gros-Chene at Chantilly. 

However, subsequent time with stalls-specialist Craig Witheford in Newmarket proved fruitful and the filly showed no signs of bad behaviour to battle to success under Danny Tudhope, providing George Boughey with a welcome winner after Via Sistina's narrow defeat in the Prix Jean Romanet earlier in the day. 

"She was dropping in grade here but was given a very good ride and is a talented filly," Boughey said. 

"Craig Witheford and his team have done a super job with her because she was a bit of a nightmare in the stalls for a while. She's a Group 3 winner when things go right but she'd rear up and it's pretty hard to come back from that in a sprint."

With things finally falling into place for the daughter of Mehmas, Boughey will now look to tackle the top level at the end of the season with an entry in the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes on October 21. 

"She's progressive and I think straight tracks are what she wants," Boughey said. "It was nice to get her back on track and we'll step her back up in grade now.

"She has an entry in the Sprint at Ascot on Champions Day and that's her main target." 

Success on Believing in the feature race completed a double for Tudhope, who had earlier helped John Quinn's Master Of My Fate make a successful debut in the 5f novice.

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