Domino Darling can knock spots off her rivals at Windsor
Domino Darling is finally set to reappear in the Final Furlong Podcast Fillies’ Novice Stakes at Windsor today and could prove a class apart.
Trained by William Haggas for Anthony Oppenheimer, who has been blessed with a whole host of classy fillies recently like Star Catcher, Dame Malliot and Frankly Darling – he may have another on his hands here.
The daughter of Golden Horn, also owned by Oppenheimer, made a winning debut at Doncaster last season but it has been the only time she has been seen in public.
Classic quotes were doing the rounds on Town Moor that day but even after the delay due to coronavirus, both the 1,000 Guineas and the Oaks came too early for her. That is not surprising given plenty of her relatives were hardly precocious types, so it makes the fact she was able to win on her debut even more impressive.
What also marks it up is the filly she beat, Roger Varian’s Gold Wand, almost touched off Franconia in a Listed race at York, so it will be disappointing if Domino Darling fails to live up to the promise of her initial run.
Haggas may also be celebrating after Ice Sprite runs in the Grange Park Racing Fillies’ Handicap.
The daughter of Zoffany also had just the one run at two, when fifth of 12 in a Newmarket maiden that has provided a few winners.
She reappeared at Yarmouth in early July and probably ran to a similar level when fourth of 10 in a race in which the winner followed up next time out.
More recently Ice Sprite broke her maiden at Newmarket off an opening mark of 70 and while an 8lb rise looks quite harsh, she takes on her elders this time and now is definitely the time of year to do it.
Sophosc has been given a chance by the handicapper after a disappointing return to action.
He has not been able to trouble the judge since a narrow second off 82 over a year ago, which came after a win at Goodwood off 78.
Having threatened at Chelmsford off 84, his last three runs have been poor, but he now finds himself on 79 in the Ontoawinner Horse Racing Syndicate Handicap. He can be forgiven his comeback run and better can be expected.
At Catterick, Ice Station Zebra should be the star of the show in the Horslyx Novice Stakes. The form of her Windsor maiden win is probably nothing special, but the manner in which she did it suggests there is more to come.
Slowly away, she still had plenty to do at one stage, before quickening smartly to get up and win by a head. Any sort of step forward from that ought to be good enough.