Stakes-winning reappearance by Laurel

Four-year-old Kingman filly Laurel made an ideal start to the season with a dominant performance in the Listed Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes at Kempton on Monday (10th April).

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 11th April 2023:

This was a perfect reintroduction for TDN Rising Star Laurel, as the Gr.1 Sun Chariot Stakes runner-up dominated to further enhance her already-significant reputation and point back to bigger things. Prominent early with Ryan Moore happy to accept a lead, the daughter of the Gr.1 Pretty Polly Stakes heroine Promising Lead was sent to the front passing the two-furlong
pole and drew away with her familiar rapid late splits to register a convincing verdict over Lightship.

John Gosden was happy to take in Ryan Moore's invaluable feedback afterwards and said: "Ryan was very happy with her and he likes her a lot. He has given me two options, so I'll be scratching my head but I'm clear with what I'm doing with the first one. The [Gr.2] Duke Of Cambridge [at Royal Ascot] is an obvious target, but talking to Ryan it is what we do between then and now. If it was fast ground at Newmarket [for the Gr.2 Dahlia Stakes], he was steering me elsewhere which is very good advice. Thady has mentioned a race in Ireland [the Gr.2 Ridgewood Pearl Stakes], so that is a possibility."

"The filly was immature as a two-year-old, but we haven't rushed her and she has come through and rewarded everyone. Her immaturity probably cost her the Sun Chariot and I think not knowing much about it as well, as she hit the front and wandered about a bit. She is learning all the time."

Promising Lead similarly came to the boil in the autumn of her three-year-old campaign, finishing second in the Gr.1 Prix de l'Opera before taking the G3 Middleton Stakes and Gr.1 Pretty Polly Stakes on her only two starts at four.