Light shines at Doncaster in May Hill Stakes

Mahmood al Zarooni has an embarrassment of riches in the juvenile fillies department and added another very significant string to his bow for next year's 1000 Guineas as his Lyric of Light proved just too good for Fallen For You in the Group 2 Barrett Steel May Hill Stakes over the straight mile at Doncaster's St Leger Festival meeting, writes Elliot Slater.                                                                                                                              

Although a pleasing winner on her racecourse bow at Newmarket last month when beating Diala by three quarters of a length, punters still allowed Lyric of Light to go off at 9/1 in the eight-runner affair for which John Gosden's Fallen For You, an impressive winner at HQ in July, was sent off the 2/1 market leader. The race was very much set up by Keiren Fallon who went blasting off up front on the Clive Brittain-trained Semayyel, only to run out of gas well over a furlong from home at which point Frankie Dettori on the Godolphin filly hit the front. Anyone betting on horse racing will have been gearing up for an exciting finish.

With Fallen For You coming in hot pursuit of the leader Lyric of Light began to hang towards the stands rail and carried the Gosden filly with her, eventually holding on under an all-out drive by just a neck. It came as no surprise to hear that a stewards' enquiry had been called but after some deliberations the placings remained unaltered. It's hard to say whether or not the runner-up would definitely have beaten the winner if they had kept straight and on that basis it appears the stewards probably made the right decision.

Both Lyric of Light and Fallen For You are likely to be seen in Group 1 company before the end of the term, with the former reportedly most likely to take her chance in France whilst the latter could go for the Fillies' Miles at Ascot.

Meanwhile, the national hunt season is almost upon us and trainer Paul Nicholls looks set to dominate the code once again.