Sky Bet Lowther Stakes
Group 2, York 13:50
£250,000 guaranteed,
2yo only,
6f, Class 1  
Thursday 21st August 2025

1 Royal Fixation 5/2JF
2 America Queen 5/2JF
3 Staya 10/3
11 ran Distances: 1l, 2l, 2½l
Time: 1m 11.27s (slow by 1.07s)

Royal Fixation turned the Knavesmire into her own stage, thundering home to claim Group Two glory.

Ed Walker’s filly, sent off the 5-2 joint-favourite under William Buick, looked to have a mountain to climb as the tempo lifted, but when the question was asked she found the answer in style, sweeping past America Queen to score by a length, with Staya finishing two further back in third.

This was a step up from her Duchess of Cambridge Stakes second, and her trainer could hardly hide his delight:

Walker said: “We’ve always thought a lot of her and she ran a huge race at Newmarket. It’s been a really long six weeks since then, we’ve let her down and had to build her back up and then you start wondering if you’ve got it right or is she too fresh.

“She’s so good, what is exciting is that she still looked a bit green off the bridle, when he first asked her she just wandered around a bit.

“She’ll get further, for sure, but she won’t go to the Fillies’ Mile, I think we’ll go to the Cheveley Park. She’s quick, she’s got loads of speed, she’s got a very fast female line and I think she’d be too keen over a mile at the moment.”

For America Queen, runner-up but far from disgraced, there was both pride and frustration for Richard Hughes:

Hughes said: “She can only improve. Ryan (Moore) just had to commit probably 50 yards earlier than he would have liked and you’re there to be shot at on an inexperienced horse, but she’s run a blinder and we can’t ask for more.

“The winner is a good filly and they opened up on the field, which is good. I’m gutted, but pleased.”

He added: “The Cheveley Park has always been in my mind, so we’ll have a little think about it. She’ll definitely be running again before that, but where we’re not sure yet. It was all about today first.”

And while Staya came home third, George Scott was left reflecting on what might have been:

Scott said: “She ran a really nice race. They raced on the far side and it got very tight and didn’t go to plan at all, but she’s run with great credit again and she’s probably well capable of going one or two better in this grade in the future.

“It just didn’t happen or pan out for us today. She picked up well, but it was too late – it was just the way the race worked out. It was a bit of an unsatisfactory race for us and it’s a little bit frustrating, but the winner has won well and well done to them.

“You’d love to have another run before the Cheveley Park, but we’ll see how she is.”

Sky Bet Lowther Stakes (Group 2)
£250,000 guaranteed, 2yo only, 6f, Class 1
11 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places

POS. (DRAW) FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (11)    Royal Fixation 2 9-2 Ed Walker William Buick 5/2JF
2 (4) 1 America Queen 2 9-2 Richard Hughes Ryan Moore 5/2JF
3 (1) 2 Staya 2 9-2 George Scott Callum Shepherd 10/3
4 (10) 2½ Dandana 2 9-2 Simon & Ed Crisford James Doyle 28/1
5 (9) ½ Mood Queen 2 9-2 Richard Hughes Hollie Doyle 80/1
6 (8) nse Argentine Tango 2 9-2 Tim Easterby David Allan 12/1
7 (7) 1½ Pearl Fortune 2 9-2 K R Burke Clifford Lee 33/1
8 (6) nk Wor Faayth 2 9-2 Brian Ellison Tom Marquand 14/1
9 (3) ¾ Timeforshowcasing 2 9-2 Charlie Johnston Billy Loughnane 14/1
10 (5) nk Secret Hideaway 2 9-2 Adrian Paul Keatley Oisin Murphy 25/1
11 (2) 2 Come On Eibhlin 2 9-2 Dylan Cunha David Egan 25/1

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