Ed Walker’s recent love affair with the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes continued when Royal Fixation justified her handler’s confidence with a comfortable success under William Buick.
Having landed the prize twelve months ago with Celandine, Ed Walker returned to York with what looked like a rock-solid contender in the shape of Royal Fixation, who proved her facile debut victory to be no flash in the pan when going down by a neck to the unbeaten Albany Stakes heroine Venetian Sun in the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes second time out.
With Richard Hughes' twelve-length first time out Haydock winner America Queen in opposition, Royal Fixation was sent off a 5/2 joint favourite to claim a first group success.
After biding his time in the early stages, Buick produced Royal Fixation to mount a challenge on America Queen in the final furlong and although the latter did her best to battle back against the rail, she was eventually no match for Ed Walker's filly, who drew clear late on to score by a length. Staya finished back in third after suffering some trouble in running.
"We've always thought a lot of her," said Walker. "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."
Cox claims valuable sales race once more
Clive Cox claimed a third successive Harry's Half Million By Goffs victory when Song Of The Clyde struck in the colours of Middleham Park under Rossa Ryan.
The son of Sergei Prokofiev battled to well to get the better of 66/1 chance Boston Dan by three quarters of a length, with the Hugo Palmer-trained Ardisia back in third.
"That was wonderful, what are the odds of winning it three times in a row with 400 horses in the sale each time?
"We liked him, he grew an awful lot and had a bit of size and scope as a yearling, but he's got such a wonderful mind as well.
"He ran really well with a penalty at Newbury, the drier ground helped him here and he's really going forwards in the right direction."
