By Nick Seddon

Clive Cox is hopeful that Get Ahead (7-4 Favourite) can make her mark at a higher level later in the season, after she produced a striking victory in the Listed EBF British Stallion Studs Cecil Frail at Haydock Park on Friday afternoon (26th May).

The four year old had held her own in two starts in Pattern company this term and the Good To Firm conditions seemed to suit the daughter of Showcasing, who travelled notably well into proceedings under Richard Kingscote.

Get Ahead soon took control of matters after hitting the front just before the furlong pole and bounded clear for a length and a quarter success.

Both the 2021 winner Twilight Spinner and last year’s winner Sense Of Duty have gone on to win in Group company after taking this and Cox is keeping his fingers crossed that Get Ahead can take a similarly upward curve.

Speaking away from the track at Bath Racecourse, he said: “I’m really pleased, that was really good. She’s a really nice filly and I’m pleased she stretched out to the six furlongs well today.

“She’s coming on all the time and maturity has been the answer to her really, she’s a half-sister to Chaldean and it’s a privilege to train a filly with such a quality pedigree.

“Now she’s won a Listed race we can explore a bit higher. She’s always shown a lot of promise but with maturity – especially for the fillies – when it’s working for you it’s extremely pleasing. We’ll try and stay on the right side of the fence now. She likes quicker ground and it was great that Haydock provided that today.”

The winning jockey Richard Kingscote added: “She’s bred to be smart and she’s got a lot of speed to be fair to her. She got a lovely spot from the gates and moved through the race nicely. The gap opened up a little early for her but she responded and took that gap really well.

“She saw out the distance no problem at all, she could have done with a bit of company but she’s done the job nicely. That was a nice step forward and she feels as though she can really take a hand in some nice sprints, so fingers crossed."

Elsewhere on the card, the Karl Burke-trained Fallen Angel (9-4 Favourite) impressed when recoding a taking victory on debut in the Oakmere Homes Supporting Macmillan Fillies' Novice Stakes over seven furlongs.

The daughter of Too Darn Hot provided her stallion with a first winner in the process and she did so in a taking manner, taking a little while to hit top gear but soon accounting for the Andrew Balding-trained Lady Of Leisure in the closing stages with a surge of speed to score by a length and three-quarters.

And the winning trainer feels that Fallen Angel ought to take high rank amongst his two year old crop this term. He said: “She’s a lovely filly and coming here we thought we had an above-average filly. We haven’t wound her up in anyway and that’s the first time she’s galloped away from home, she’s probably only had two gallops on the grass, so she’s definitely one for the future.

“If we were going to go for Royal Ascot it would be the Albany Stakes but that would mean dropping back (to six furlongs) but after watching that and speaking to Clifford Lee I don’t think we’ll do that as I think she’ll stay a mile.

“I was half hoping she’d show a little bit more speed though she’ll learn a lot today. I do think she’ll sharpen up but dropping her back to six might be a mistake.

“She’s useful. I think that’s Too Darn Hot’s first winner as a stallion and I’ve got another couple of fillies by him as well, I think he’s going to be a very good sire. She’s certainly going to be up there (amongst his two year olds).”

Meanwhile, Burke has two key runners on tomorrow’s card in the form of Cold Case in the Group Two Betfred Nifty Fifty Sandy Lane Stakes and Dramatised in the Group Two Betfred Temple Stakes – two key trials for next month’s Royal meeting at Ascot.

And when asked for an update on the pair, he commented: “Cold Case is in great form and the ground looks as though they’ve put plenty of water on, which will help him. I’d have preferred a bit more juice, but it is what it is and I think he’ll run a big race. He’s definitely stepped forward for Ascot, he’d have needed that run.

“Dramatised looks fantastic and is in great heart but it’s very much her first day back at school. Whatever she does she’ll come on for.”