Queen Of Ipanema bidding to continue winning streak at Lingfield

Queen Of Ipanema is looking to continue her remarkable rise through the ranks by claiming a sixth straight win at the talkSPORT Winter Oaks Trial at Lingfield on Saturday.

After three rather unfavorable attempts in inexperienced company in September, George Boughey’s filly received a mark of just 52 for her handicap debut at Wolverhampton the following month.

Aided by a first-time tongue tie, the daughter of Teofilo won at will at Dunstall Park and has added two more wins at Wolverhampton and triumphs at Newcastle and Chelmsford to her resume.

A £3 raise to her recent success, she sees this £45,000 handicap from a revised figure of 83 – but with champion jockey William Buick on board, Boughey is expecting another bold offer.

He said: “She probably exceeded what I thought she could do. She’s never been a great workhorse but seems to be popping up on the racetrack.

“I think going back to 10 stadia should suit her. She has been busy and you never really know how they will continue but she is a filly on form and looks like the right race for her.

“I wouldn’t swap her for any other horse in the race and the long term goal has to be the Winter Oaks I’d say.

“William beat them on the last day and the only thing he said was to bring them back to 10 stadia. She’s a winner over 10 and 12 and when she shows up she should be hard to beat.”

James Fanshawe’s Viola won the race last season when it was held at Southwell and returns to defend her topweight crown.

William Haggas-trained Sea Tsarina, Henry Spiller’s Tahasun and Charlie Fellowes-trained Tequilamockingbird have all previously won at Lingfield, with the latter two having won out of two at the Surrey circuit.

“Tequilamockingbird is very easy to train. She’s a light framed filly and I don’t even have to canter her at home,” said Fellowes.

“She is unbeaten over track and distance which is always encouraging at a track like Lingfield and the form from her win the other day is working well.

“If you look at the race, there are a couple of fillies that may not be quite rushing past their optimal drives, while those are optimal conditions for our filly. We rate their chances very positively.

“She was going to be sold but her owner (Chris Wright) kept her in training just to compete in that race and the Winter Oaks in January. I find it encouraging because these good money races were held for that very reason.”

The Lingfield card also offers interesting beginner competition in the form of the one-mile TalkSPORT Powered By Fans EBF beginner stakes.

The field includes a mix of debutants and more experienced two-year-olds, some with striking pedigree and blueblood pedigree.

John and Thady Gosden have two representatives, with Qatar Racing’s Queen Regent and Juddmonte’s own Ziryab both in the running.

Queen Regent is a filly by Roaring Lion out of an unridden Rainbow Quest mare who has produced three Pattern Race winners, while Ziryab is by Kingman out of Listed Champion mare Frankel Reem.

“Those are two cleverly bred horses. They are both running for the first time and we hope they have a good experience,” said Thady Gosden.

Well-known names can also be found on the side of Simon and Ed Crisford’s Wigmore Street, which runs in Michael Tabor’s colors.

The colt is by US superstar American Pharoah and is out of a Todd Pletcher-trained mare named Marylebone, a Grade One Matron Stakes winner at Belmont Park who has produced two black performers to date.

“He’s very well behaved, he’s got a pedigree and he’s a nice horse,” said Ed Crisford.

“He was due to run at Chelmsford on Thursday night and that was cancelled, so he’s in on Saturday.

“The track might be a bit sharp for him but we’ve got to get all those two-year-olds out now.”

Ed Walker’s Waipiro is another who carries a notable bloodline, with his half-brother being Hong Kong Group One winner Waikuku.

Waikuku, who has competed in both a mile and seven furlongs, has won the Hong Kong Stewards’ Cup twice and was also the 2021 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup winner.

“He’s a well-behaved horse, very immature and backward, but ready to debut,” said Walker.

“He wanted to run at Newcastle (last weekend) but that was given up. I think he could be a nice little middle distance horse next year.

“We’re hoping for a nice run, but beginners are still very hot at this time of year. He would have to run at a high level to be in the frame, but I wouldn’t rule it out.”