Signora Cabello Strikes in Prix Robert Papin

Trainer John Quinn's decision to reroute Signora Cabello from the valuable Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury July 21 to Sunday's group 2 Darley Prix Robert Papin (G2) paid off when she was driven home by Frankie Dettori.

The Queen Mary (G2) winner, who runs in the colors of Phoenix Thoroughbreds and Zen Racing, held on to deny Sexy Metro, providing British trainers with their fifth straight win in the race that set Special Duty, Natagora, and Divine Proportions on their way to classic glory.

A daughter of Camacho, Signora Cabello was having her fifth outing of 2018 and she broke well, racing just off the Robert Cowell-trained Pocket Dynamo, who also had Royal Ascot form after finishing second in the Norfolk Stakes (G2). 

Dettori began to push away on her, as the Karl Burke-trained True Mason loomed alongside, knuckling down to land the £65,575 (US$86,099) first prize and edge out Sexy Metro by a neck, with True Mason third.

That does not match the £122,925 ($161,398) purse Newbury's Super Sprint offered, but Quinn was in no mood to rue what might have been.

"When they came round her, you thought, err, and she got a bit unbalanced and maybe a little bit intimidated, but when she got back on an even keel, she was going away at the line," said the trainer.

"She was very tough, and there's no one better on the big day than Lanfranco Dettori." he continued. "It was quick ground, but like what she's been winning on and the track was in very good condition."

Quinn, a Cheltenham Festival winner thanks to 2012 Stan James Champion Hurdle ace Countrywide Flame, added: "There are no easy races in this game. It looked like she might've had a tremendous chance in the Super Sprint, but as you saw in it yesterday, there was barging and bumping. She's a stakes filly and that's where we decided to keep her, and she vindicated our decision, which is great because it doesn't always happen."

A step up to six furlongs and the group 1 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville Aug. 19 is next for Signora Cabello, which Quinn has fond memories of after winning it with The Wow Signal in 2014.

He said: "She's in the Lowther (Stakes, G2), but if she's as well as she was before today, she'll run in the Morny. The Wow Signal was similar to her in that they're two very tough horses who improved with racing. He was phenomenal, but I think her performance today was very good, and the second is very good. There weren't many runners, but I'd say it was her best performance.

"It doesn't look like six furlongs would be a problem, and over five and a half today, she was going away from them at the line."

Regarding the juvenile's prospects of developing into a classic contender next year, Quinn said: "On what we see at the moment, you'd think six is well within her compass, but the difference between six and a mile is massive, so you may be thinking more of Commonwealth Cups, but we'll leave every option open and look after this year first."