Betfred May Hill Stakes
Group 2, Doncaster 14:25
£120,000 guaranteed,
2yo fillies only,
1m, Class 1   
Thursday 11th September 2025

1 Aylin 5/1
2 Pacific Mission 11/1
3 Sugar Island 13/2
8 ran NR: Samra Green
Distances: ¾l, ½l, 1½l Time: 1m 39.79s (slow by 3.19s)

Aylin flew up the Doncaster straight in powerful style to add another glittering juvenile victory to Karl Burke’s season.

She’d been third in the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood last month, and as the field entered the final quarter-mile of the one-mile Group Two, Aylin still had plenty to do. But once David Egan flicked the switch, her stamina kicked in. She surged past Pacific Mission under Andrew Balding (second) and Sugar Island for Aidan O’Brien (third) to take the top spot.

The unbeaten Venetian Sun has been the yard-flagbearer so far for the Spigot Lodge stable, but with this performance Aylin joins a distinguished line of Burke’s alumni — Laurens (2017), Darnation (2023) — on the May Hill roll of honour, and gives real hope for next season’s Classics. Burke said:

“She stayed well and we always thought she would stay, but there’s staying in lesser company and staying in this company and she’s proved she’s up to this Group-race level.

“She came to us with a big reputation. Kia (Joorabchian) owns half of her with Al Shaqab Racing and he was pretty keen for her to come to us, so I’m delighted for everybody.”

Her odds by the sponsors tell their own story: she was quoted at 16-1 by Paddy Power for the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket later this season, while Coral offer 33-1 for the 1000 Guineas. Burke added:

“She was very well in herself and very fit today, so I don’t think you’ll improve much on fitness with her, and it’s just a question now whether she can hold her form for another month and we can run her in one of the Group Ones, either the Fillies’ Mile or the Prix Marcel Boussac.

“She’s got entries in both and she certainly deserves to have a go on that performance, but you’d like to be going in there confident that she was as well in herself as she was today.”

Meanwhile, connections were full of praise for runner-up Pacific Mission, stepping up sharply in class after breaking her maiden on the all-weather at Kempton. Andrew Balding’s wife, Anna-Lisa, said:

“She’s a lovely filly, it was a step up in class and she’s risen to the challenge beautifully.

“I think Colin (Keane) has given her a beautiful ride, we were beaten by a good horse on the day and I think her three-year-old career is going to be exciting.

“She showed us what we really hoped we’d see today. We’ll see how she comes out of it and see what Andrew thinks about running her again, but we could just put her away until next year.”

The disappointment came in the shape of Moon Target, trained by Sir Mark Prescott, who had been favourite at 11-10 and looked capable coming out of Goodwood. But the signs were there before long that she was struggling, and by the finish she could only manage seventh of the eight.

BoyleSports

Betfred May Hill Stakes
(Fillies' Group 2) (Str)
£120,000 guaranteed, 2yo only, 1m, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 (1)    Aylin 2 9-2 K R Burke David Egan 5/1
2 (5) ¾ Pacific Mission 2 9-2 Andrew Balding Colin Keane 11/1
3 (3) ½ Sugar Island 2 9-2 A P O'Brien Christophe Soumillon 13/2
4 (8) 1½ Rose Ghaiyyath 2 9-2 Richard Hughes Billy Loughnane 9/1
5 (4) shd Timeforshowcasing 2 9-2 Charlie Johnston James Doyle 33/1
6 (7) 1½ Venetian Lace 2 9-2 Charlie Johnston William Buick 13/2
7 (6) ½ Moon Target 2 9-2 Sir Mark Prescott Bt Luke Morris 11/10F
8 (9) 12 Swift Winds 2 9-2 Hilal Kobeissi Tom Marquand 80/1
NR (2) Samra Green 2 9-2 K R Burke NON RUNNER

Dewhurst Stakes

RECENT WINNERS
Year Horse Trainer Jockey Owner SP

2024 Desert Flower
2023 Darnation
2022 Polly Pott
2021 Inspiral
2020 Indigo Girl
2019 Powerful Breeze
2018 Fleeting
2017 Laurens
2016 Rich Legacy R M Beckett Oisin Murphy Qatar Racing Limited 3/1
2015 Turret Rocks Jim Bolger Kevin Manning Mrs June Judd 7/2
2014 Agnes Stewart E Lynam W J Lee Clipper Logistics Group Ltd 11/4
2013 Ihtimal Saeed bin Suroor S De Sousa Godolphin 11/10 fav
2012 Certify Mahmood Al Zarooni Mickael Barzalona Godolphin 4/6 fav
2011 Lyric Of Light Mahmood Al Zarooni Frankie Dettori Godolphin 9/1
2010 White Moonstone Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 8/11 fav
2009 Pollenator Richard Hannon Ryan Moore The Royal Ascot Racing Club 14/1
2008 Rainbow View John Gosden Jimmy Fortune George Strawbridge 1/3 fav
2007 Spacious James Fanshawe Jamie Spencer Cheveley Park Stud 9/4 fav
2006 Simply Perfect Jeremy Noseda Darryll Holland Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, Sue Magnier 4/1
2005 Nasheej Richard Hannon Richard Hughes Malih L Al Basti 4/1
2004 Playful Act John Gosden Jimmy Fortune Sangster Family 8/1
2003 Kinnaird Patrick Haslam Kevin Darley Alastair Dinsmore 9/1
2002 Summitville James Given Michael Fenton Mountain High Partnership 11/2
2001 Half Glance Henry Cecil Richard Quinn Khalid Abdullah 5/2
2000 Karasta Sir Michael Stoute Johnny Murtagh H H Aga Khan 5/4 fav
1999 Teggiano Clive Brittain Frankie Dettori Abdullah Saeed Bul Hab 13/2