Celebrity to take centre stage in Duchess of Cambridge Stakes

High Celebrity looked a top notch prospect when sluicing up on debut and can take the step up into Group 2 company in her stride in today’s Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket (2.10).

Trained in France by Andre Fabre, the filly made virtually all to destroy 11 opponents over 7f at Chantilly last month.

The daughter of Invincible Spirit strode effortlessly clear a furlong and a half from home and was 10 lengths ahead entering the final furlong before being eased right down and allowed to coast home by two lengths from Sleekfonteine.

It was a performance which oozed class, and High Celebrity’s astute handler already believes that she is a Group 1 filly and has the Prix Morny and the Cheveley Park Stakes as possible future targets if comes through today’s test with flying colours.

Given the manner in which High Celebrity got the job done at Chantilly, it is going to take something very special to lower the filly’s colours, and I fully expect her to land the spoils before going on to much better things.

The two most likely to provide the biggest threat to High Celebrity are Arabian Queen and Parsley.

The former is trained by David Elsworth, and after winning a maiden at Windsor on her second start ran very well to finish sixth of 21 to Anthem Alexander in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Arabian Queen got badly outpaced in the early stages of that 5f contest before staying on strongly to be beaten 2 3/4 lengths, and the step up to 6f this afternoon looks sure to suit the daughter of Dubawi.
Parsley is trained by Richard Hannon, whose father won the race in 2010 with Memory.

The daughter of Zebedee finished a promising second on debut before easily going one better in a 5f maiden at Goodwood.

The filly then put in her best performance to date when chasing home Calypso Beat in a 6f contest ath this venue last time out.

That was a solid effort, but whether Parsley has the class to cope with the potentially very exciting High Celebrity is debatable.