Hugo Palmer trainer of It Ain't Two© Photo Healy Racing
Hugo Palmer's It Ain't Two looks to provide her trainer with a first success in the Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
The Calyx filly pleasantly surprised connections, who include co-owner and breeder Michael Owen, on her debut when winning a five-furlong Newmarket maiden at 18-1 in April, earning a step up in class as a result.
Subsequently eighth in the Marygate at York, she then regained the winning thread in a Carlisle novice in late May to bring her record up to two wins from three starts.
At Listed level next time she was fourth in the Empress Fillies’ Stakes and the Dragon Stakes at Sandown was the next port of call for It Ain’t Two, where she was second to Archie Watson’s Aesterius when stepping back down to five furlongs.
“She’s a nice horse who has done well so far this season and we’re looking forward to running her,” said Palmer.
“The form is good and she’s in good nick, she’s run well over five and six furlongs.
“We were going to run in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes, perhaps we should have since Arabian Dusk who finished just in front of us at Newmarket won the race, but the Super Sprint is worth a lot of money and we got black type at Sandown, so we decided last week to run at Newbury.
“She got black type on similar ground, the concern would be how firm it could get.”
Richard Hannon has an excellent record in the race, which was partly devised by his father, and will this year saddle Miss Collada.
The filly is twice a winner after taking her last two starts over five furlongs, and fared well earlier in the season when not beaten far in a pair of novices over the same trip.
“Her last run at Salisbury was with a penalty and physically she has done extremely well since, she is a different filly to what she was then,” the trainer said.
“Tom Marquand is going to ride. There are a few horses in there with Ascot form but I’ve found over the years that those with Ascot form can often misfire in the Super Sprint.
“This filly has been targeted at this race from a fair while back and she comes into the race fresh and in great form.”
Another filly in the field is Alice Haynes’ Kuwaitya, who was placed at Listed level at Chantilly in May before returning to France to finish fifth at the same level in the Prix Yacowlef at Deauville.
“She’s a tough filly and she’ll like the ground quickening up,” the trainer said.
“You can excuse her run in France, I’m sure she’s the type of filly who will really suit these types of races.”
Elsewhere in the race is Harry Eustace’s Time For Sandals, a Sands Of Mali filly who has one run and one victory to her name so far.
Watson fields Vingegaard, fifth in the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot, whereas Karl Burke has a trio of entrants in Invincible Annice, Kaadi and Larchill Lass.
