Calendar Girl (13-2) made a belated winning return to action with victory in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Dick Hern Stakes at Haydock Park on Saturday afternoon.
Under Callum Rodriguez, the three-year-old daughter of Advertise will now step up in grade, with the Group One Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket in the autumn a likely target. Paddy Power cut Calendar Girl to 16-1 from 50-1 for the mile contest at Headquarters in October.
Race details
Liverpool FC fan Karl Burke's Fallen Angel was sent off the 11-8 favourite. The five-time Group One-winning five-year-old mare hit the front three furlongs out but was quickly overtaken by Calendar Girl, who went on to score by a length-and-a-quarter from Pacific Mission (12-1). The favourite was a further neck back in third.
The pair could resume rivalries in the Sun Chariot Stakes – which Fallen Angel beat Blue Bolt in last season – at Newmarket on October 3.
Return to form
Calendar Girl had won her final two juvenile starts at Doncaster and in the Group Three Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket in October. Connections were hopeful she could make up into a Classic filly, but one of two niggly health issues meant she hasn't been seen on the track since this return at Haydock. But she showed she retains all that early promise and is now back on track.
Burrows is hopeful Calendar Girl can take that step up to the top level now that her early-season issues are over. He said: "I'm very pleased, it was a big team effort. I wasn't happy with her in early spring – I couldn't get a clean scope from her and she just wasn't healthy. Something was on her and she couldn't seem to shake it off. She'd put on plenty of condition when she came back in and it took me this long to get her fit.
"It was disappointing because we would probably have been looking at a Guinea trial, but the patience has been rewarded, and hopefully we can go on to better things. She's got a Sun Chariot entry and there's potentially the Breeders' Cup as well. She's been showing all the right signs at home and it's just great to get her back on the track."
David O'Meara's Pellitory (3-1), under Danny Tudhope, won the Betway Ashton Heath Handicap by three-and-three-quarters-of-a-length from 2-1 favourite Crimson Spirit.
