Lilt looks exciting with impressive York victory
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Fri 15 May 2026
Lilt could have booked her ticket to Royal Ascot when storming home to claim the Sky Bet Fillies’ Stakes at York.
William Haggas’ daughter of Lope De Vega looked a nice prospect when winning her only start at two and was sent off at 13-2 for what on paper looked a red-hot Listed race more commonly known as the Michael Seely Memorial.
It appeared the front-running So Regal was going to remain unbeaten for the year when Danny Tudhope’s mount strode clear, but Tom Marquand was working his way through the gears aboard his inexperienced mount, showcasing a blistering turn of foot to run down her rival and score by a going-away length and a half.
Lilt was made an 8-1 shot for the Coronation Stakes at the Royal meeting, with the clearly talented filly also entered for the Curragh’s Pretty Polly and Irish Oaks later in the summer.
Assistant trainer Maureen Haggas, said: “She was green and she’ll have learned a lot today.
“When he wanted to get going she was very ‘climby’ which I thought might have been down to the ground, but she just didn’t really know what to do. When she got going she really got going well.
“You’d think there’d be scope for 10 furlongs, but I don’t think we need to be in a hurry for that just yet.
“She’s in the Coronation, but that is up to James (Wigan, owner) and William. She’s been very good today, but it was just her second run. You can ask them to do too much too soon and it’s a long old year.
“Her dam was a good four-year-old and James is a good one for keeping them in training so I think we can look further down the line with her.”
Haggas himself was at Newbury where he told Sky Sports Racing: “I was really pleased with her and I’m really thrilled for James, he puts such a lot in.
“She looked pretty good, I thought she stayed on really well. I’ve put her in the Coronation, so I suspect we’ve got nothing to lose by having a go at that. But James is eminently more sensible than me, so we’ll talk about it.”
John Gosden said of So Regal: “That was a really good run, she did get a bit lonely in front, but it’s a big, open track. She ran a super race and I couldn’t be more pleased with her.
“She did everything but got a bit lonely, there’s a headwind and a three-year-old filly on her own – she was just looking about a bit at the end and leading into a headwind is never easy.”
Roger Varian was pleased with the run of Botagoz in third: “We came here to learn a bit more about her because my gut feeling was that she is a middle-distance filly, but she hadn’t done anything wrong over seven furlongs winning her only start last year and then winning over a mile at Nottingham.
“Her final furlong was her best furlong and she hit the line strong. We are all reasonably happy with the run and it will be 10 furlongs next time. At Goodwood on Derby weekend, there is a Listed race for fillies over 10 furlongs and she’ll go there.
“I’d be surprised if this is not very strong three-year-old form.”
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