Fitzella fits the bill for Hugo Palmer in Princess Margaret

Fitzella showed her class at Ascot with a smart victory in the Sodexo Live! Princess Margaret Stakes.

The Hugo Palmer-trained filly was fourth at the same track in the Albany Stakes at the Royal meeting, beaten three lengths by a highly-regarded rival in Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun.

This time she was the 9-4 favourite under Oisin Murphy, and took up the running early on to set a good pace from the front.

As the race developed the contenders behind her attempted to close, but the daughter of Too Darn Hot was well able to keep her head in front to claim an eventual one-length win from George Scott’s Staya.

Palmer said: “Oisin was very upset when he came in from the Albany as he felt he sat too close to a very strong pace, he did realise and took back but the damage was already kind of done by then.

“We felt on reflection that it was her class that allowed her to finish fourth on that occasion.

“She was probably drawn on the wrong side of the track that day as well and today the plan was to hold her up and race more patiently and use her finish.

“She pinged the lids and Oisin had to go straight to plan B and it worked very nicely. He didn’t go hard and of course she’s very exciting.

“She was an expensive yearling but has always been beautiful and still is and I’m delighted she’s a Group winner now.

“I’ve only watched it once so I don’t know how tough Oisin has had to be on her. She was very game and very willing which is what she has been at home since the get-go. I’m delighted today, but just sad she’s not a Royal Ascot winner.”

Coral made Fitzella a 25-1 chance for next May’s 1000 Guineas, but more immediate in Palmer’s thoughts is the Breeders’ Cup, with a trip to France a possibility before crossing the Atlantic to Del Mar in November.

Palmer continued: “She’s shown great gate speed today and the Breeders’ Cup would definitely be on the radar, she will definitely run again and possibly twice, but I wouldn’t think more than that.

“It’s her fourth start of the year and I wouldn’t want her to have many more than five or six runs.

“She has a Moyglare entry, but that is a very stiff seven furlongs and I would have thought the Prix du Calvados at Deauville may be the right option, it’s a month away. She wouldn’t want soft ground though, so we will have to see what the weather brings.”