Azleet springs 50/1 surprise in Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket

A winner of two of her seven starts during a busy juvenile campaign, Marco Ghiani's mount was slowly away and raced at the rear of the field. However, she came with a strong run on the stands’ side of the field to lock horns with runner-up America Queen (9/2) inside the final furlong.

It was in the final 50 yards that she began to assert, going on to score by a neck. Act Of Kindness (9/2) was third for Godolphin.

The winner holds an entry in the Betfred 1000 Guineas for which she’s 25s from 100/1 with Sky Bet and Paddy Power.

Winning trainer Stuart Williams said: "This was the big thing we came here today to find out was her stamina. Marco has given her a brilliant ride today and settled her in at the back. "She has got a little bit keen at half-way, but she was probably a little bit fresh, but she has come home strong.

“We are keen to have a go at the 1000 Guineas now. She is a high class filly that has won her Group Three now so why not have a go. It is brilliant. I pride myself on doing the best we can with the horses we have got. If there is a race to be won with a horse we will win it.

"To be here on these days like this is great as we don’t get the chance to train these horses very often. To have won that is good enough to win at our home track is brilliant. We have been practising in the stalls at home with this filly as she has been rearing up.

"We ponied her down to try and keep her quiet. There has been a lot of work go into her. It is a special time for me to potentially have a Group One runner at Newmarket. It would be fantastic if we got there.

"We came here to see if we should make the entry. The staff at home, Marco, and the lads at home have done a great job in keeping her calm.

“She had a lot to find on the figures, but her last race she ran last year she missed the break by about four lengths, had a terrible run through the race, and got no run at all. She finished the race off really strongly and didn’t get beat far by Spicy Marg, who is quite a good filly.

“That gave us the encouragement to come here. Really planned this from that stage to come here and see if we were good enough to maybe have a shot at the 1000 Guineas. For a yard our size, and with the spending power we have at the sales. We have been lucky as every couple of years we find a Group horse and we have got two at the moment so it is exciting.”

French Guineas plan for America Queen

Trainer Richard Hughes said of America Queen: "I felt she stayed seven well there as she came back a bit and was up in the van all the way. It was a real tough, hard run. She will go to France now (for the French 1000 Guineas), and if they go slow, which they normally do, and she gets a good draw you would have to roll the dice.

"I thought it is a gruelling mile here, and I have another filly for that, Rose Ghaiyyath, and we like her a lot.

"If there is any chance of this filly getting a mile it will be in France. She is easy as she relaxes. She has run a blinder and she is a pleasure to train. She does nothing flashy, but she tries like hell, and you can’t ask for anymore.”

Charlie Appleby said of third-home Act Of Kindness: “I’m very pleased with her. I have to say pleased, as I know we didn’t win, but I was sat on the fence as people reminded us we hadn’t put her in the Guineas, but I walked away thinking that is why we didn’t put her in the Guineas.

“She is a nice filly, but she is not a Guineas filly yet. I think that will all come a bit too soon for her. She wants stepping up to a mile, and she will definitely come forward for it as she has only just come to hand the last couple of weeks.

"Maybe something like the Michael Seeley as she seemed to take all the prelims well enough and it would be an away day for her at York. She is a nice filly, and if we look after her, she will be a nice filly in the second half of the season. She has has already put a huge amount of value back on herself finishing third there.”

Timeform view - More to come from beaten fillies

by David Cleary

They bet 4/1 the field for the Nell Gwyn, one of the two major trials for the 1000 Guineas this week, with five of the 12-strong field within a point of one another at the head of the market.

It's then perhaps not a surprise that a renewal where it was hard to find a favourite fell to one of the longest-priced runners, the 50/1-chance Azleet coming out on top.

Azleet won twice from seven starts at two years and ran her best race on her final start, in a listed contest over six furlongs at Newmarket. That form still left her with something to find in this company and she's clearly shown improvement, fitness likely a factor in a race where none of the runners had been out this year, the step up to seven furlongs looking to suit her as well.

Azleet would need to find quite a bit more to figure in the Guineas and the less exposed pair that finished second and third, America Queen and Act of Kindness, might well improve past her with a race under their belt.

However, the most interesting for the future is the fourth home, Inis Mor, who has greater scope than most of these and did well over a trip that is almost certainly short of her optimum.

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