Royal Fixation is Lowther queen for Ed Walker

Royal Fixation sprinted away from the field to land Group Two honours in the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York.

Trained by Ed Walker and ridden by William Buick, the 5-2 joint-favourite was settled well off the pace in the six-furlong contest and had plenty of ground to make up as the race began in earnest.

But once Buick got lower in the saddle, Royal Fixation picked up in style to beat market rival America Queen by a length. Staya also made late gains to be beaten a further two lengths in third.

Royal Fixation was going one place than at Newmarket, where she had finished runner-up in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on what was just her second career outing.

Walker said: “We’ve always thought a lot of her and she ran a huge race at Newmarket. It’s been a really long six weeks since then, we’ve let her down and had to build her back up and then you start wondering if you’ve got it right or is she too fresh.

“She’s so good, what is exciting is that she still looked a bit green off the bridle, when he first asked her she just wandered around a bit.

“She’ll get further, for sure, but she won’t go to the Fillies’ Mile, I think we’ll go to the Cheveley Park. She’s quick, she’s got loads of speed, she’s got a very fast female line and I think she’d be too keen over a mile at the moment.”

Richard Hughes said of runner-up America Queen: “She can only improve. Ryan (Moore) just had to commit probably 50 yards earlier than he would have liked and you’re there to be shot at on an inexperienced horse, but she’s run a blinder and we can’t ask for more.

“The winner is a good filly and they opened up on the field, which is good. I’m gutted, but pleased.”

He added: “The Cheveley Park has always been in my mind, so we’ll have a little think about it. She’ll definitely be running again before that, but where we’re not sure yet. It was all about today first.”

George Scott was also pleased with the effort of third home Staya, saying: “She ran a really nice race. They raced on the far side and it got very tight and didn’t go to plan at all, but she’s run with great credit again and she’s probably well capable of going one or two better in this grade in the future.

“It just didn’t happen or pan out for us today. She picked up well, but it was too late – it was just the way the race worked out. It was a bit of an unsatisfactory race for us and it’s a little bit frustrating, but the winner has won well and well done to them.

“You’d love to have another run before the Cheveley Park, but we’ll see how she is.”