Chelsea and England defender Reece James enjoyed a winner on the racecourse on Thursday as his two-year-old filly Scomessa Sicura recorded her first victory at Newmarket. The 2-1 chance, co-owned by James and Opulence Thoroughbreds, landed the £40,000 British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes on the opening day of the July Festival.
Race Performance and Details
Ridden by champion jockey Oisin Murphy and wearing James's colours of dark blue with light blue epaulets, Scomessa Sicura defeated outsider Tall Trees by a length. The hot favourite, Godolphin's Peaceful Charm, a £1.7 million purchase, finished a well-beaten fourth. The win came on the filly's fourth start, having placed second in her previous three outings.
James, who is part of Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the World Cup in the United States, was unable to attend due to his commitments with the national team. However, the race was run at 9:10 am Florida time, allowing him to watch remotely. The 24-year-old right-back is nursing a hamstring injury sustained in the second group match against Ghana and is uncertain for Saturday's quarter-final against Norway.
Trainer and Ownership Background
Trained by Andrew Balding, Scomessa Sicura cost £105,000 as a yearling and is beginning to repay that investment. Opulence Thoroughbreds racing manager Edward Brown said: "It was great to see the filly get her head in front at last. She had three seconds before. We were quietly confident because, if you look at the form, the first horse that beat her ran in the Albany at Royal Ascot, then she was beaten by a horse that ran in the Chesham and Musical Times, who beat her last time, has won again since."
Brown added: "We knew we were the form pick but whenever Godolphin run a big purchase horse there is always a slight worry, but we had a chat with Oisin before and on the day, so we had a solid idea of tactics. Oisin made the decision to stick to the standside rail and go from the front and let them come and get us if there is something good enough to beat us."
Future Prospects
The race has a notable history; last year's winner Desert Flower went on to win the 1,000 Guineas. Scomessa Sicura, whose name translates from Italian as 'sure thing', could have an exciting future. Brown indicated a step up in class is likely: "The natural progression would be to go into Listed company and she could even go up to a mile, provided she comes out of the race well."
James has shares in other horses and has visited Balding's yard near Newbury, Berkshire. His World Cup campaign continues, but he now has a promising racehorse to follow.
