Merrily and Wayne Lordan (right) © Photo Healy Racing
Aidan O’Brien’s second-string Merrily caused an upset in the Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket.
With Ryan Moore choosing to ride Ecstatic in the Group Three contest, Wayne Lordan stepped in for the mount on Merrily, who despite showing useful form in her five previous races seemingly had her limitations exposed.
The market concentrated on Ralph Beckett’s Cathedral, impressive winner of her only outing to date, and Ollie Sangster’s Flight, who had run well in the May Hill last time out.
With two furlongs left to run Flight appeared to be travelling very strongly indeed for Oisin Murphy on her drop in trip, but Cathedral was also beginning to hit top gear for David Egan in the Amo Racing silks.
As they began to meet the rising ground Cathedral was getting on top of Flight, but on her outside Merrily came with a sweeping run and readily accounted for the better-fancied filly to win by half a length at 25-1. Flight was over three lengths away in third.
O’Brien said: “She was very unlucky in Goodwood, she had to kind of jump two or three hurdles up the straight there and Declan (McDonogh) thought she was very unlucky.
“Wayne rode her the last day and thought it all went wrong then for him too, and he didn’t get any cover and she did too much. That’s why she was here.
“She’s a fine, big filly and Wayne gave her a lovely ride today. She won very nicely and I think she is a Guineas filly now, looking at her. It will be interesting as she is a big, rangy filly with lots of class and she handles dig in the ground.
“We can at least train her for a Guineas trial now and see how we go.”
Cathedral’s owner Kia Joorabchian said: “That was a big ask on her second start and her first time on turf. We asked her a big question and she has given it an amazing try.
“She is definitely next year’s filly, but we had to give today a go because she was so well at home and we wanted to give her the experience on here, because she could be a Guineas filly.
“She has done us proud there and she’s picked up with the winner and drawn clear of the third. It was a great run.”
