Lex Victoria stepping up the highest level in Fillies’ Mile

Lex Victoria will put her unbeaten record on the line as connections assess her credentials at the highest level in Newmarket’s bet365 Fillies’ Mile on Friday.

Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford and owned by Victorious Forever, the €1.1million Arqana breeze-up buy carries a similar profile to last season’s Rockfel winner Zanthos, who represented the same connections and was also a sales-topping daughter of Sioux Nation.

Chris Wall, racing manager for the owners, said: “It’s a big step up to come out of maiden and novice company straight into a Group One, but we want to know how good she could be and where we stand in the overall scheme of things so we know roughly what we will do with her next season.

“She’s obviously shown herself to be a filly with plenty of class and it will be interesting to see how we stack up.

“I think this is a bigger, scopier model than Zanthos. Zanthos was a bit more edgy and liked to get on with things a bit, whereas this filly is more relaxed and you can switch her off.”

Lex Victoria has barely put a foot wrong on track so far, impressing on debut when edging out subsequent winner Thi Qar on the July course before handing recent Ascot winner Pink Larkspur a four-length beating at Kempton.

She now steps up to a mile for what could prove an acid test of any Classic ambitions for next season.

Wall added: “Her form looks good and the second to her at Kempton came out and won well at Ascot the other day.

“She should stay a mile without any difficulty, I don’t think that will be a problem to her and hopefully she can show a bit of speed at the end and get involved in the finish.”

Lex Victoria is one of eight declared for the Rowley Mile feature, a race where Charlie Appleby’s Musical Times will be a warm order after her May Hill Stakes success at Doncaster.

Scommesa Sicura, second on that occasion, albeit seven and a half lengths adrift, is one of two in the mix for Andrew Balding alongside Flying Scotsman Stakes winner Forbidden Fire.

Aidan O’Brien has won two of the last three renewals and relies on Dundalk winner Haven and Exceptionally, with Joseph O’Brien saddling Moyglare Stud Stakes third Dancing Destiny.

The final runner is Ed Bethell Rogue Passion, who heads south from her Yorkshire home having seen the form of her Group Two Prix d’Aumale victory given a handsome boost when the runner-up Amusingly landed the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere last weekend.