Mystery Angel gives rookie trainer George Boughey biggest win in Pretty Polly

Mystery Angel made her race fitness count as she took the Listed spoils in the Betfair Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket.

The daughter of Kodi Bear, having her fourth race of the year, defeated several highly-regarded rivals to enhance her own reputation.

Owned by the Nick Bradley Racing syndicate – who afforded her the loudest cheer of the weekend – she also put her rookie trainer George Boughey in the spotlight, giving the Newmarket-based handler the biggest success of his career to date.

Ridden by Ben Curtis, who was completing a double after winning the previous race with Zabeel Champion, Mystery Angel was always in the front rank.

Forever Grateful led in the early stages until Mystery Angel (13-2) set sail for home some way out.

Sea Karats was the only threat, but she was always playing second fiddle and went down by a length and three quarters.

The first two pulled three and a quarter lengths clear of Taslima in third, while A’Shaari, the 6-4 favourite, was the disappointing horse in the race, finishing fifth.

Bradley said: “I’m a bit lost for words, to be honest. When she ran here at the backend of last year she did that (won well) and then we kind of got it wrong.

“Today was on better ground and it was great to see her do that in front of all the owners here on such a big day as we’ve always felt she was a top-class filly.

“You’re only allowed six owners here, but there’s 20-odd owners in this horse. I bought her at the breeze-ups here for 22,000 guineas and drove the horsebox home with her in it. By the time I got home, I only owned four per cent of her!

“She’ll probably go for the Group One Prix Saint-Alary, or perhaps the Musidora at York. We’ll have a think.

“She isn’t in the Oaks. We thought 10 furlongs would be her maximum trip as she’s by a sprinter, but we might be wrong.”

Boughey said: “It was a shame not to win in France six weeks ago, but she’s a very tough filly who obviously loves it here at Newmarket.

“I actually worked her on the Summer Gallop about a week ago on what was very fast ground and she worked very well.

“She’s an improving filly who handled the soft and heavy ground last year, but her work had suggested she was actually going to be better on faster ground.

“She’s a filly with a pretty upward profile now. She’s in the Prix Saint-Alary, which she could go for, but the Musidora is another option.

“She’s not in the Oaks, but she’s putting a bit of prize-money in the pot now and it might be something we consider (supplementing). There’s a few nice decisions to make.

“She’s not bred to stay a mile, let alone a mile and a quarter. But the way she won there – galloping through the line – I certainly wouldn’t be against trying her over a mile and a half.”

Jockey Ben Curtis added: “She’s done all of her racing on soft or heavy ground and that was her first real test on a quicker surface. She travelled like a dream on it and when I asked her to go and win her race she put it to bed in four strides, so I’m very happy with her.

“I see no reason why she wouldn’t get a bit further, she’s a strong traveller and saw that trip out well.”

William Haggas, trainer of runner-up Sea Karats, said: “She is still learning and is not there yet. She got a little bit lost in the dip. She is fine but whether she is good enough is a different thing. I like her a lot but she was not wise enough today. The winner has got bags of experience and she got the run of the race.

“We will see what we do now going forward. She definitely wants further and she will be going over a mile and a half next time. Tom (Marquand, jockey) said she was quite happy on that ground as she is a fluent mover.”

Thady Gosden, who trains third home Taslima alongside his father John, said: “We were very pleased with her and she ended up staying on well. She has now been placed in a Listed race which is important to her.

“We will probably step her up in trip to a mile and a half next time. I would imagine we will look at trying to get her head in front in a maiden before looking at something better again.”