Luca Cumani’s exciting filly Seta is amongst a quality field of 13 fillies declared at the five-day stage for Wednesday’s Group 2 Windsor Forest Stakes on the second day of the sparkling Royal Ascot fixture, writes Elliot Slater.
The mile event appears to provide a decent opportunity for Cumani’s Pivotal filly to finally justify the tall reputation she established when making a scintillating debut as a juvenile a couple of seasons ago, her eight-length Newmarket romp seeing her installed as the early ante-post favourite for last season’s 1000 Guineas. Beaten into third place behind Pollenator when an odds-on favourite in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes on her second outing Seta was nevertheless sent off a 13/2 for the 1000 Guineas on her seasonal bow last term, but flopped badly, finishing 12th behind Special Duty. Anyone looking at tips for Royal Ascot would have likely dismissed the horse on those performances.
A hat-trick of successes at a lower level during the mid-summer run last term saw Sarah Leigh’s filly regain some of her lost fans, but she again failed to give her true running when pitched in at the highest level when only eighth of the ten runners in last October’s Sun Chariot Stakes behind Sahpresa.
A fine return to action this season in the Listed Totepool Conqueror Stakes when slamming Anna Salai (may re-oppose on Wednesday) by three-and-three-quarter-lengths, gave the strongest hint yet that Seta is coming closer to justifying the high opinion her shrewd handler has always held of her and this is reflected in the betting.
She looks set to start the Group 2 event as one of the market principals in a contest that could also include last year’s demoted 1000 Guineas ‘winner’ Jacqueline Quest, Mick Channon’s classy Music Show, fourth to the high-class Midday in the Middleton Stakes at York last month, and William Haggas’ progressive sort Dever Dream.
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