Lily Agnes success 'like a dream' as Rebecca Menzies targets Royal Ascot with runaway winner Adonius

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Trainer Rebecca Menzies said winning the CAA Stellar Lily Agnes was "like a dream" after Adonius defied a double penalty under a positive Kaiya Fraser ride to make Royal Ascot aspirations a reality.

The Durham-based dual-purpose trainer is focusing her attention more on the Flat and took great delight in the Michael Hughes-owned gelding extending his unbeaten record to three in the juvenile sprint contest.

"This is like a dream," said Menzies. "Training these horses and having him from a yearling is absolutely amazing.

"Fair play to the owners for keeping him after his second win [at Musselburgh] as he could easily have got another postcode, but they said roll the dice at Chester and Royal Ascot. Whenever we've had a decent Flat horse before, people are all over them to buy them."

The phone will be ringing again but for now Menzies is looking for the £32,000 purchase to write another chapter after giving his trainer and jockey their first winners at Chester.

"I'd say Ascot is definitely on the agenda now," she said. "I think over five [furlongs] as he's all speed and we'll probably look at the National Stakes as well.

"Every assignment we've given him, he's delivered every time. He's such a strong horse – he's three from three now and was mightily impressive there – and Kaiya gets a good tune out of him."

Supido (blue and orange hooped cap) wins for Ian Williams under Billy LoughnaneCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Supido strikes

Ian Williams finally worked the trick with Supido in the 7½f handicap, and the trainer hopes the success will kick-start his yard's turf season.

The four-year-old was winless in seven starts for Williams in 2025, but he returned this year with a bang when scoring by half a length under Billy Loughnane and take Williams' strike-rate on the turf this month to 33 per cent.

The trainer said: "To me, this is the first day of summer. It takes the pressure off the rest of the week by getting that winner early. We've had some quite fast ground to deal with this spring, and we haven't got our major horses as fit as I'd like them at this stage."

Royal options

Tornado Tower could have earned a place on Wathnan Racing's Royal Ascot team following his victory in the 1m2½f maiden.

Tornado Tower wins the 1m 2f maiden under James DoyleCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Joint-trainer John Gosden said: "He ran well at Nottingham first time out and he's done really well physically since. We could squeeze another run in to get him into the handicaps or give him some fancy entries, including in the King Edward VII Stakes."

Happy return

Trainer James Owen and the Gredley family were on the mark with surprise 6f handicap winner Cherry Baker on their return to the scene of last year's Chester Cup success with East India Dock.

Owen said of the 25-1 winner: "She ran in the Nell Gwyn, we thought a lot of her, but she got caught on the wing and probably didn't stay. She was off the bridle early on but came home really well there and it was a great ride by Cieren [Fallon]. She's a nice filly – she's classy at home."

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