Tiffany team hoping she can sparkle at Ascot

Connections of Tiffany are unconcerned by the ground as she bids to end her season on a high with a Group One strike in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot.

The four-year-old daughter of Farhh has won three of her four starts this season, with the only blip coming at Haydock when she was beaten three lengths by Queen Of The Pride in the Lancashire Oaks.

She launched her season with victory in a Listed race at Baden-Baden in Germany and followed up in the Hoppings Fillies’ Stakes at Newcastle.

The Haydock defeat came just eight days after her win at Newcastle, while she was also hindered by slipping on the bend.

The Sir Mark Prescott-trained filly was then given a 56-day break before returning to Baden-Baden to land a Group Two, with Dan Downie of owners Elite Racing convinced there is more to come.

Downie said: “Ground-wise, I think she’s pretty versatile, I don’t think we know what she wants really. She tends to be pretty effective on any ground she’s run on. We’re not particularly fussed about that.

“She’s never run on really bottomless ground. It will be a different kettle of fish on Saturday, but in terms of how she is, we’re very happy with her. She’s had a good season and she’s been improving. It’s a difficult time of year for fillies, but hopefully she remains in good form.

“She won very well (in Germany), it wasn’t the strongest Group Two, obviously, but she did it really well, she couldn’t have done any more.

“When she won the Hoppings, she was impressive that day. She probably had excuses at Haydock, it came a bit quick. We’re very happy with her and the plan is to stay in training with her next year, as there’s so much more to come from her.”

Andrew Balding’s Kalpana has been favourite for this contest ever since she demolished the field in the September Stakes at Kempton.

However, connections do have concerns should the ground turn extremely testing.

Barry Mahon of owners Juddmonte said: “It will be the same for them all, it depends on how much rain arrives.

“She won’t mind soft ground but if it turned heavy, that would be a whole different ball game.

“She’s in good form, Andrew is happy with her work and we’re looking forward to seeing her run.

“She did it well at Kempton, to be fair she’s probably been improving all year, physically, but you’d have to be impressed with how she did it.”

Juddmonte will also be represented by Harry Charlton’s Time Lock, who is set to head to the paddocks after this.

“More than likely, this will be her last race, we had mentioned Hong Kong but realistically she’s probably a pound or two short of being competitive there and the owners were keen to give her another try,” Mahon continued.

“We also felt she was probably better on fast ground but it’s a last roll of the dice, it is what it is and hopefully she can be competitive.”

Aidan O’Brien runs both Yorkshire Oaks winner Content, who disappointed in the Prix de l’Opera last time out, and Grateful, who won the Prix de Royallieu over a mile and three-quarters.

“The trip was a bit short for Content, the ground didn’t suit and she normally wears ear plugs but in France she had to wear a hood as well, so maybe the combination was too much for her,” said O’Brien.

“Grateful will stay very well and like the ground, she seems in good form.”

Queen Of The Pride, Tiffany’s conqueror at Haydock, will look to put a disappointing run at York in the rear-view mirror when they renew their rivalry.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained four-year-old failed to fire in the Yorkshire Oaks and trailed home 26 lengths adrift of Content.

Jockey Oisin Murphy said: “She obviously has to get over the disappointment of York, but she’s training well at the moment and when I rode her work last week, she felt her old self.

“She was never on the bridle there, but they did all of the tests and found nothing, so we don’t know what happened that day.”

War Chimes was third in the Oaks but has not been seen since finishing down the field in the Irish equivalent and her trainer David Menuisier explained. “We gave her a break after the Irish Oaks and decided to go straight for the Fillies & Mares.

“She hung that day, but she’d had a busy time, finishing third at Epsom, and she was just a bit tired.”