Statuette shines with impressive Navan debut for Ballydoyle team | Racing News

Statuette added her name to the Royal Ascot equation with an impressive display on debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Navan.

Aidan O’Brien’s filly was sent off the 11-10 favourite and the market looked to have it spot on as the professional newcomer fought out the finish with 460,000 guineas breeze-up buy Olivia Maraldo, who was second at 5-4.

Statuette was a first winner in the UK and Ireland from US Triple Crown hero Justify’s first crop of two-year-old runners and the regally-bred youngster, who is out of a three-time Group One winner and closely related to Cheveley Park Stakes winner Tenebrism, was introduced into the Albany Stakes market at 3-1 by Betfair.

Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “She has always shown loads at home. She could be a filly for the Albany (at Royal Ascot).

“We’ll take her home and see, she’s a very big filly and we will see how she comes out of it.

“Obviously she is by Justify, an incredibly exciting sire – his first winner in Europe and he had a very good winner in America last weekend. We have some nice Justifys.”

Winning rider Ryan Moore added: “It was nice to start her off on some nice ground. She’s a lovely, big filly and she was a standout physically. She did that really nicely.

“She’s a Justify out of Immortal Verse so she’s got an incredible pedigree.

“I’d like to think, looking at the size of her, that she will continue to progress throughout the season.

“She’s a filly that Aidan liked and I’m very happy with what she’s done.”