Botagoz gave Roger Varian and Ray Dawson a Group 3 success at Newcastle on Friday, catching Diamond Rain late to win the Hoppings Fillies’ Stakes by a short head.
The three-year-old, racing in the colours of Nurlan Bizakov, stepped up to 10 furlongs on the all-weather and made the extra distance count in the £95,000 JenningsBet In Delves Hoppings Fillies’ Stakes.
Diamond Rain, last year’s winner for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, looked set to repeat the feat before Botagoz finished strongly in the final strides. Sky Safari was third, three and a quarter lengths behind the first two, with the official time recorded at 2:09.02.
Botagoz Adds First Group Win
The result continued Botagoz’s rapid rise after two earlier wins and a placed effort behind Lilt and So Regal in the Michael Seely Memorial at York. Dawson told Thoroughbred Daily News that the filly looked suited by the trip and the stiff Newcastle finish.
It was also a first black-type and first Group victory for the Mehmas filly, who is out of Bocca Baciata, a Group-winning mare who was placed in the Pretty Polly Stakes.
With Botagoz now proven against older fillies and mares, Varian has a progressive middle-distance performer to place carefully through the second half of the Flat season.
