Senorita Bonita lives up to billing on Nottingham debut

Royal Ascot could come calling for Senorita Bonita despite leaving it late to make a winning debut at Nottingham.

Owned by Victorious Racing, the daughter of Starspangledbanner was the top lot at the Craven Breeze-Up sales in April, commanding 900,000 guineas before heading into training with Simon and Ed Crisford.

Sent off the 10-11 favourite in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes, it looked like Fast Track was going to make experience count, but Oisin Murphy conjured up a race-winning burst when it mattered from his mount, who showed a deadly turn of foot to pounce in the dying strides by a short head.

Simon Crisford said: “She was learning on the job and had to do it the hard way but she’s a very nice filly with plenty of scope for the future.

“She’s got a great temperament and is very nice. She’s got pace and class and whatever we saw today she will be much better next time.

“Midway through the race it wasn’t looking too good and she was probably on the wrong side of the track. Her turn of foot was exceptional and whether she is a five or six-furlong filly remains open.

“We’ll talk to the owners about plans and see what they would like to do.”

Karl Burke’s Leovanni won the corresponding race before landing the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot two year’s ago and Senorita Bonita was made 6-1 by William Hill to repeat that feat later this month.

However, Victorious Racing’s racing manager Chris Wall believes she will have no problem if the team decide to tackle the extra furlong of the Albany Stakes.

Wall said: “She’s a nice filly to be involved with and one with a big future. Simon and the team have done well to get her this far in such a short space of time as she was quite wintery in her coat at the sales and it’s the same again now.

“She’s tested their patience a bit to get her ready but showed a great turn of foot there.

“She was bought to go to Ascot and that’s what we’ll have to do. Whether we go for the Queen Mary and the Albany we’ll have to have a think about which direction we go.

“I think she could stretch out to six as she was strong through the line today. She was a bit green early on but was stuck out on a wing and had to do things the hard way.

Meanwhile, Andrew Balding’s runner-up Fast Track could also now roll on to the Royal meeting after her brave run in defeat on her second outing.

“She’s a nice filly and I liked her first run at Goodwood and thought she would come on a lot for that which she has done,” said Philip Robinson, racing manager for owner Sultan Ali.

“I saw Simon’s gallop the other day and knew which one we had to beat and unfortunately she just got us on the line.

“The Queen Mary might be her race and a possibility but I think the winner might be going there as well and you have to remember we’ve had a run and the winner hadn’t.”