Fillies' Mile: star in the making? Commissioning bids to back up big reputation

Friday: 3.35 Newmarket
bet365 Fillies' Mile (Group 1) | 1m | 2yo fillies | ITV4/RTV

Just six days after narrowly missing out on his first Group 1 winner in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, jockey Robert Havlin is back on the Rowley Mile with another live chance of breaking his duck at the top level on Commissioning.

The John and Thady Gosden team at Clarehaven know all about the Fillies' Mile having won it a year ago with subsequent Coronation Stakes and Prix Jacques le Marois winner Inspiral and they have a leading chance again.

Commissioning is unbeaten in two starts, winning on the Newmarket July course in July and then handling the Rowley Mile equally well when accounting for Electric Eyes by two and three-quarter lengths last month.

Thady Gosden said: "Commissioning won the Rockfel Stakes nicely just two weeks ago on only her second start. She's improving with racing and although it's a short gap between the two races she came out of the Rockfel in good shape.

"She finished off strongly over seven furlongs, which suggests she should be okay over the mile. She's won on both Newmarket courses and has handled the undulations and the Dip on both tracks which should stand her in good stead.

"She blew out nicely for this on Tuesday and it looks like it's going to be nice ground so we're ready to go."

What they say

Jose Santos, assistant trainer to Ismail Mohammed, trainer of Alseyoob
We expect a very good run. Se finished off well when winning over seven furlongs first time on the July course which would suggest she'll enjoy tackling the mile on the Rowley Mile. She doesn't want soft ground so the surface should be ideal for her.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Library
She ran a nice race last time at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend and we hope that stepping back up to a mile will suit her. Better ground also might be a help to her.

Philip Robinson, racing manager to Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, owner of Bright Diamond
She's stepping up a furlong which should suit as she was doing all her best work at the finish at Goodwood last time. She showed she handled these sort of undulations when she won on her debut on the July course. She's pretty versatile as regards ground requirements and we're looking forward to the race.

Bright Diamond: winner on her debut at Newmarket

Charlie Johnston, joint-trainer of Ferrari Queen
We're rolling the dice a bit as she has a bit to find on form with some from the May Hill but that was a difficult race to make sense of. This ground will suit her better and if she could finish third it would be massive.

Karl Burke, trainer of Novakai
She's a lovely filly but a mile on this sort of ground would be her minimum at the moment as she will be a nice mile-and-a-half type for next year.

Harry Dunlop, trainer of Polly Pott
She will probably be my last domestic Group 1 runner and it's very sporting of the owners to put up the £35,000 supplement to add her to the race. She's got to step up on what she achieved at Doncaster but she's come out of that in great shape. If she can be placed that would be fantastic.

David Egan, rider of Sparkling Beauty
I rode her work on Monday and she went very well. If you take the Gosden filly out it's an open race and her French form looks very strong.

Fillies' Mile analysis: Why the Rockfel form is a warning light for favourite backers (£)

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