Appleby backing Desert Flower to bloom at Newmarket

Desert Flower will put her unbeaten record and Classic aspirations to the test in Friday’s bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket.

Charlie Appleby’s daughter of Night Of Thunder was thoroughly impressive in two starts on the July Course in the summer before taking a step up in class in her stride when making it a perfect three out of three in the Group Two May Hill Stakes last month.

She is heading most bookmakers’ lists for Friday’s Group One event and having had to work slightly harder than some expected for her cosy length-and-a-half success on Town Moor, the Moulton Paddocks handler is confident there is more to come from his exciting youngster.

“I’m pleased with her and she’s a filly who is three from three,” said Appleby.

“Listening to people on the day, I think people thought there was going to be this big ‘wow’ factor at Doncaster. But she’s a filly who is still learning and you saw her pricking her ears there when she got to the front.

“She’s a filly who is going to get better with the more experience she gets, and experience is going to become more valuable as she keeps climbing the ladder.”

Already a 7-1 chance for next year’s 1000 Guineas, a Fillies’ Mile victory would cement Desert Flower’s position as one of the market leaders for next season’s Classics.

However, Appleby will be unflustered if she was to taste defeat for the first time, in a race that could feature Rockfel winner Bubbling and her unbeaten Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemate Dreamy.

“It’s very English to not want to get beat, but I don’t mind mine getting beat,” explained Appleby.

“She hasn’t been beat but she had to race a bit more at Doncaster and the odd time they do get beat, they learn plenty from it – when you are heading into Group Ones or Classics, I don’t think there is any harm in it.

“Hopefully on Friday she will put herself bang there as being one of the leading Guineas contenders for next year.”