Precise is a cut above her Fillies' Mile rivals

bet365 Fillies' Mile report and replay: Precise new 1000 Guineas favourite

By Graham Clark

Horse Racing

Fri October 10, 2025 · 3M ago

Precise is the new favourite for next year's Betfred 1000 Guineas after coming from last to first to run out an authoritative winner of the bet365 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket.

The daughter of Starspangledbanner was providing Aidan O’Brien with his 22nd Group One victory of the season and did so courtesy of a stylish mid-race move.

Jockey Christophe Soumillon switched the 5/4 favourite to the stands’ side flank of the field and she swept past her rivals with a race-winning challenge.

The trailblazing Venetian Lace (40/1) wouldn’t go down without a fight but upon meeting the rising ground, Precise came clear to score by three-and-a-quarter lengths. The Charlie Johnston-trained front-runner boxed on for second and Evolutionist (18/1) ran well in third.

Paddy Power and Sky Bet halved Precise in price to 5/1 for the Newmarket Classic.

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O’Brien said: “She looks serious and she looks very special. Everything she has done from day one she has been so easy to do anything. We weren’t sure how good she was, but she is a serious filly. It was very impressive.

“She was cantering going to the post. Minding was a great filly, but this is serious as well. She has not been asked to do anything and she does everything so easily. It is incredible. She is only a baby really and she is going to mature a lot physically. She is very unassuming and very classy. She is very exciting.

“They (her and Diamond Necklace) will be trained for the Classics. I would imagine they will be trained for the Guineas, and there is three of them, and the lads will decide how they are. I don’t think we will see her again this season.”

Soumillon added: “It was not the plan to jump out last, but she didn’t jump straight as she had her head a little bit on the side. I was very happy to follow Wayne (Lordan, on Composing) as I thought he would bring me through quite well.

"The pace was honest from the beginning and my filly was really relaxed. When I asked her to quicken she really responded straight away. I really loved the way she quickened and won the last day at the Curragh, but today she was even more impressive. It was different ground, but she has a really nice balance.

Aidan O'Brien and Christophe Soumillon with Precise

“When I asked her at the two furlong marker she passed everybody like in her morning trackwork. I think she is really special as the way she won her last two races was really impressive. At the moment her and Diamond Necklace are different as Diamond Necklace has less experience than her, but for me they look really good both of them.

“I have a little preference for Diamond Necklace as the way she won at Leopardstown amazed me and last time she won hands and heels too, but it is difficult to compare two great fillies together. I’m sure for Ryan next year if they run in the same race he will have to make a decision, but it is exciting to say you have two great fillies like that.

“They are two classy fillies with amazing pedigrees and it is amazing to have these questions to ask yourself in the future.”

Charlie Johnston said of the runner-up: “This doesn’t come as a surprise to me as she is a filly that I’ve always held in very high regard and she wasn’t beaten far by the boys in the Superlative. I was quite happy to draw a line through Doncaster and I came here, for a horse that was 66-1 last night, quite confident she would be in the four.

“She was a very difficult filly early. She has got a little bit of a streak in her, but she has become better and better with racing. That is one reason to be hopeful there is more to come. It was a great run. One thing we have learnt most today is that she is not slow. We have been treating her as a filly that would get a mile and a half next year. I think we will come here at the start of May and see where we go after that.”

Karl Burke was encouraged by the run of Evolutionist too, adding: “She was first in the stalls, and although she is not a bad filly, she has got that little streak in her. She has no hind shoes on as the farrier can’t get near her hind legs. She was in the stalls for a long time, and she just missed the beat. I think she might have been second if she had jumped out cleanly. It was a fantastic run as she is very much a filly for next year. She is a big filly and is getting stronger all the time.

“I don’t think this track plays to her strengths as she was rolling around a bit and Clifford (Lee) felt she was just rolling around on the ground and undulations. I’ve put her in the Irish 1000 Guineas as that has closed already and the Curragh would suit her well. I think a mile-and-a-quarter would be great and we said the Prix de Diane might be the race for her.”

bet365 Fillies' Mile report and replay: Precise new 1000 Guineas favourite

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