Anthelia stays unbeaten with National Stakes success

Anthelia maintained her unbeaten record with a well-timed effort in the Star Sports National Stakes at Sandown.

The daughter of Supremacy – who was purchased by Middleham Park Racing after her debut win at Bath before following up at Salisbury earlier this month – was patiently ridden against the rail and Lewis Edmunds judged it nicely as the pair got up to win by a length at 25-1.

First Legion chased her down on the outside, but left his challenge too late, with Rod Millman’s filly holding on to take Listed honours.

Millman said: “We paid £6,000 for her and we had her earmarked for a good order. We were going to buy one for £50,000, this is one we picked out, but we weren’t sure she was worth £50,000 so we bought something else and then she was walking round the ring and I saw there were no bids on her so I picked her up for £6,000. She’s probably worth a bit more now.

“We didn’t want to get in a duel for the front because we wanted to finish off and to be honest the main thing today was to get some black type. As it’s turned out she’s better than we thought she was.

“She will still be learning the game and when she won at Bath she came from the pack and then it was only a four-runner race last time and this will be the first time she has been roughed up in a race.

“It’s very exciting for the future really and we haven’t had one finish at the top of our gallops like her for a long time.”

Despite beating some well-entered opposition and being handed a quote of 14-1 for the Queen Mary Stakes by Coral, connections seem keen to avoid Royal Ascot, with Newmarket’s Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies’ Stakes on June 26 seen as a suitable alternative.

The trainer’s son and assistant James Millman added: “The aim was to miss Royal Ascot and go to the Empress and it is very tough taking on the best at Royal Ascot and sometimes you don’t have a horse afterwards.

“The Super Sprint was her main aim, but she’s a bit ahead of that now. She wants six furlongs and that’s why she didn’t go to the Marygate at York, as five would have been a bit sharp for her there.”