Fillies’ Mile betting

The Fillies’ Mile is a Group 1 race for two-year-old fillies over a mile at Newmarket. It is the feature race on Autumn Ladies Day at the Future Champions meeting in October.

Top fillies from Britain and Ireland dominate the Fillies’ Mile betting as they bid to stake a claim for Classic honours the following campaign.

It’s a race has produced numerous Classic heroines over the years including Fillies Triple Crown winner Oh So Sharp (1984), Bosra Sham (1995) and Minding (2015). The Fillies’ Mile has a big impact on the betting for the 1000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks for the following season.

Fillies’ Mile betting tips

A very high percentage of recent Fillies’ Mile winners had raced within the previous month. Many of them already had winning form over a mile. Runners usually have at least three previous races prior to tackling this Group 1 contest. A high proportion of those had chalked up two or more victories.

Although only around half of the runners are officially rated before the Fillies’ Mile, a rating of 98 or higher is usually required to win this race. Several recent winners had previous form at Newmarket, although the Rowley Mile poses no real issues for racehorses with experience on galloping tracks.

Runners trained in Ireland have dominated this race in recent years but there has never been a French-trained winner of the Fillies’ Mile. Frankie Dettori is the leading rider in the history of the race, claiming a sixth Fillies’ Mile aboard Lyric of Light in 2011.

Fillies’ Mile betting trends

Favourites have a mixed record in the Fillies’ Mile betting in recent seasons. Rainbow View was a very strong Fillies’ Mile betting tip in 2008 and returned 4/7 favourite. The Godolphin trio of White Moonstone, Lyric of Light and Certify were all well-backed favourites between 2010 and 2012.

Aidan O’Brien’s Minding (2015) was another successful favourite and stable companion Rhododendron started joint-favourite the following year. Looking further back, Gossamer (2001) and Soviet Song (2002) were both very heavily supported favourites in the Fillies’ Mile betting.

There have also been some surprise winners in recent years, none more so than Chriselliam for Charles Hills in 2013.

She won at odds of 28/1 and went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf at Santa Anita. Iridessa was also neglected in the Fillies’ Mile betting at 14/1 in 2018 and followed the 10/1 success of Laurens.

Fillies’ Mile ante-post betting pointers

The May Hill Stakes at Doncaster has been the best trial for this race over the years. Simply Perfect won the May Hill Stakes in 2006 for Jeremy Noseda before winning the Fillies’ Mile. Certify and Lyric of Light also won the May Hill in 2011 and 2012 before winning this race.

The Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh is the leading form guide in Ireland when considering the Fillies’ Mile odds. Minding won the Moyglare before her impressive victory in the 2015 Fillies’ Mile, while 2016 winner Rhododendron finished third in in the same race.

Karl Burke’s Laurens (2017) battled to a narrow victory in the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster. She again showed terrific courage in the Fillies’ Mile, holding off Aidan O’Brien’s September by a nose. In 2018 Iridessa finished third in the Listed Ingabelle Stakes at Leopardstown on her previous start.

Fillies’ Mile winners often head straight to the 1000 Guineas in May of the following year. The race has an excellent record of producing Classic winners.

Minding won the 1000 Guineas and Oaks after winning here in 2015. The following year’s winner Rhododendron was runner-up in both races and 2017 winner Laurens was second at Newmarket and won the French Oaks.

Together Forever (2014) did not race again until finishing second in the Musidora Stakes at York. She took her chance in the Epsom Oaks but could finish only seventh behind her 50/1 stable companion Qualify.

Chriselliam won at the Breeders’ Cup in November and was rated the best two-year-old filly in Europe. Check William Hill promotions for the latest special offers and Fillies’ Mile odds.

Fillies’ Mile history and memorable winners

The Fillies’ Mile was first run in 1973 and was originally staged at Ascot. The race has been run under several different sponsors, notably as the Hoover Fillies’ Mile from 1978 to 1989. The race was given Group 1 status in 1990 and transferred to Newmarket in 2011 under the sponsorship of Shadwell.

The Fillies’ Mile used to be part of the Cambridgeshire meeting at Newmarket but is now held on the Friday of the two-day Future Champions meeting in October. It is the highlight of Autumn Ladies’ day which also features the Oh So Sharp Stakes and the Challenge Stakes.

First to complete the Fillies’ Mile/1000 Guineas double was John Dunlop’s Quick As Lightning in 1979. She started at 12-1 in the Guineas where she was ridden by Brian Rouse. Quick As Lightning was beaten favourite when fourth in the Epsom Oaks.

Her Majesty The Queen won the Fillies’ Mile in 1981 with Height Of Fashion, trained by Major Dick Hern and ridden by Joe Mercer.

The imposing daughter of 1000 Guineas winner Highclere was backed into 15-8 favourite in the Fillies’ Mile betting before beating Stratospheric. She was sold to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and became one of the most influential broodmares of modern times.

Sir Henry Cecil set a record of six victories in this race between 1978 and 1996. They included Classic winners Oh So Sharp (1984), Diminuendo (1987), Bosra Sham (1995) and Reams of Verse (1996).

Lester Piggott rode Oh So Sharp to victory in this race but the filly formed an almost invincible partnership with jockey Steve Cauthen the following season.

Oh So Sharp completed the Fillies’ Triple Crown, starting with a thrilling victory in a three-way photo finish to the 1000 Guineas.

She won by a short-head and the same from Al Bahathri and Bella Colora. It was the first British Classic for Sheikh Mohammed and Oh So Sharp set a record time for the 1000 Guineas. She then added the Epsom Oaks before completing her Classic treble in the St Leger at Doncaster.

Other top class winners to emerge from the Fillies’ Mile include Irish 1000 Guineas winner Gossamer (2001) and multiple Group 1 winner Soviet Song (2002).

Fillies’ Mile betting 2021

Aidan O’Brien is within one of equalling Sir Henry Cecil’s record of six Fillies’ Mile winners. His most recent successes came with Minding (2015) and Rhododendron (2016). Joseph O’Brien added his name to the roll of honour in this race when Iridessa beat his father’s Hermosa in 2018.

Godolphin have not won this race since 2012 but Charlie Appleby enjoyed his most successful season to date in 2018. He will be keen to build on a season that included ground-breaking victories in the Epsom Derby and the Melbourne Cup.

John Gosden has won this race four times in the past, most recently with Rainbow View in 2008. She dominated the Fillies’ Mile odds when winning at 4-7 but was a beaten odds-on favourite in the 1000 Guineas. Gosden has had many top class fillies since, including current stable star Enable.

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