Fast-Rising Silk Sari in Champions Day Leap

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Silk Sari bids to resume her remarkable rise through the ranks when she turns out for the £607,500 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Eng-I) at Ascot Oct. 19.



The 4-year-old daughter of Dalakhani was supplemented to the 12-furlong test after she ran clean away with the DFS Park Hill Stakes (Eng-II) at Doncaster Sep. 11. Her five-length defeat of Groovejet signaled the best effort yet from Silk Sari, who opened the season by winning a £5,175 handicap in May.



Silk Sari is trained by Luca  Cumani, who bred her in partnership with the Bengough family's Arrow Farm Stud. She races for a partnership comprising New Zealander Michael Watt, the Injured Jockeys' Fund, and Racing Welfare. The latter two entities are equine charities which benefit from prize money earned by the filly.



In Silk Sari's favor is her winning record on easy ground, although she has yet to encounter conditions as testing as they will be at Ascot. She has won four of nine lifetime starts, the last two in the manner of a fast-improving filly.



Prior to her Doncaster triumph she bettered of Moment In Timesubsequently fourth in the Aug. 16 American St. Leger Stakes over 13 1/2 furlongs at Arlingtonin the listed British Stallion Studs EBF Chalice Stakes in August. Promising young rider Andrea Atzeni will be on board.



Silk Sari will be making her first start in group I company at Ascot. Conversely, Seal Of Approval returns to the scene of her triumph in this race 12 months ago, when the ground was also testing.



She brought credentials similar to Silk Sari into that contest and handled the rise in class with aplomb, galloping out to a four-length victory from Belle De Crecy. However, that represented the mare's last visit to the winner's circle.



Seal Of Approval's trainer, James Fanshawe, believes the 5-year-old thrives in the fall and is expecting her to make her presence felt. Tim Vestey's daughter of Authorized has run creditably of late but finished 7 1/4 lengths adrift of Silk Sari when fourth at Doncaster last time.



The Fillies & Mares also sees Chiquita endeavor to recapture her classic-winning form of last season. The 4-year-old landed the Darley Irish Oaks (Ire-I) ahead of her sale for 6 million euros to the Coolmore syndicate at Goffs in November.



Chiquita, who took time to come to hand, ran encouragingly when runner-up to Tarfasha, beaten 1 3/4 lengths in the 12-furlong Moyglare "Jewels" Blandford Stakes (Ire-II) on her seasonal comeback at the Curragh Sep. 14. But she subsequently failed to feature at any stage when down the field in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) Oct. 5. This will likely be her last start before she retires to the Coolmore paddocks.



Hadaatha has prospects on her excellent third place behind We Are in the Qatar Prix de l'Opera (Fr-I) at Longchamp Oct. 5 on only her fourth career start. Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's homebred 3-year-old did not race at 2 but has progressed rapidly since she broke her maiden at Newmarket in April.



The daughter of Sea The Stars, who steps up to 12 furlongs here, is unproven on ground slower than good. She must also avenge a recent defeat by Albasharah, who prevailed by three-quarters length when the pair locked horns in the listed EBF At The Races John Musker Fillies' Stakes at Yarmouth Sep. 17.



Albasharah is trained for Godolphin by Saeed Bin Suroor, who will also saddle Tasaday on Saturday. Tasaday, a 4-year-old Nayef filly, has been a model of consistency this season but has shown her best form over 10 furlongs.