Churchill Filly Confirms Promise With Maiden Win

Battle Queen (3f Churchill – Nayarra, by Cape Cross) built on promising placings to make a winning turf debut at Nottingham on Tuesday.

The Andrew Balding-trained filly placed on all of her previous starts, most recently as runner-up to subsequent Group 3 second Francophone, and was reunited with Oisin Murphy in the mile maiden. Racing prominently throughout, she led approaching the final furlong and kept on well to beat a 90-rated rival by a length and a quarter.

“She has a very good pedigree so it was great to get her off the mark,” Murphy said after the race. “She has speed, but we view her as a miler at the moment. She always travels very well in her homework and it would be nice if she could go on to do well.”

Battle Queen is owned by Victorious Racing, having been bought by Oliver St Lawrence as a yearling for €200,000. The daughter of Churchill was bred by Barronstown Stud out of Nayarra, whose Camelot colt fetched 170,000gns last October.