'She'll take a lot of beating' - Mammas Girl shortens in 1,000 Guineas market after striking Nell Gwyn win

Mammas Girl stoked hopes of a breakthrough Classic for Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing in next month's Qipco 1,000 Guineas with a devastating last-to-first burst in the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes.

The Richard Hannon-trained 16-1 winner was initially cut to 8-1 (from 50) by Paddy Power for Classic glory on May 7 but the firm soon had the scissors out again into 6-1 after plenty of punters piled in.

Hannon had spoken in glowing terms about Mammas Girl after she won her sole juvenile start over the same course and distance last October but even he was surprised by the manner of her two-and-three-quarter-length success from Fairy Cross under Sean Levey.

Kia Joorabchian (right) of Amo Racing after Mammas Girl landed the Nell Gwyn StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Mammas Girl will now attempt to emulate Cachet, who won the traditional Guineas warm-up last year before following up in the first fillies' Classic, but it is not the way the Hannons usually do it.

The trainer said: "Mammas Girl had worked very well but most of ours come on for their first run. It's well documented that our Guineas winners Sky Lantern, Night Of Thunder and Billesdon Brook were beaten in their trials but the only way to get match fit is to play matches. I quite like that she was under the radar and we couldn't believe she was 28-1 this morning."

He added: "We'll be having a lot of sleepless nights between now and the 1,000 Guineas. I was a bit worried about the track today, which sounds strange as she had won here as a two-year-old, but going from a novice into a Group 3 is a big ask. We'll come back for the 1,000 Guineas and, although there'll be some nice fillies turning up, she'll take a lot of beating."

'What we couldn't understand was her price'

Joorabchian said: "In the last few years we haven't been able to quite get over the line in a Group 1 but she gave a cracking performance on her debut here and we've always loved her. What we couldn't understand was her price as we couldn't see her getting beaten. The drying ground helped and I'm very excited."

Levey got the ride only after retained jockey Kevin Stott chose to ride Amo Racing's other runner, Queen Olly.

The winning rider said: "She has a chance of being a nice filly and I'm quite blessed to be riding her. The way she had everything covered during the race, I would have been surprised if I hadn't won. I was surprised by how well she did it in the end."

On runner-up Fairy Cross, trainer Charlie Appleby said: "We've run into a nice one today but have no complaints and we'll probably look at the French 1,000 Guineas."

The 40-1 shot Secret Angel was third for Karl Burke, while the John and Thady Gosden-trained Coppice, who went off favourite and is now as big as 40-1 for the 1,000 Guineas, had to settle for tenth.

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