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Mark Johnston leaning towards Lowther bid for Nyaleti

Nyaleti (L, green) wins the Princess Margaret Juddmonte Stakes
Image: Nyaleti (L, green) wins the Princess Margaret Juddmonte Stakes in taking fashion

It is "odds-on" that Mark Johnston's smart filly Nyaleti will skip the Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday in favour of the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York next week.

A winner on her racecourse debut at Salisbury, Mark Johnston's filly was turned out just six days later for the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and ran an excellent race to fill the runner-up spot behind Aidan O'Brien's 1000 Guineas favourite September.

She found another Ballydoyle inmate, Clemmie, too strong in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket before bolting up in Ascot's Princess Margaret Stakes late last month.

After that a Group One assignment looked the obvious next step, but as the Ascot race was only a Group Three, she would have no penalty at York.

"We were basically thinking she would go for a Group One next but the Lowther is very attractive at York. The prize-money is absolutely tremendous and it's an ideal race for her, we think," Johnston told At The Races.

"She's in the Prix Morny at the weekend and we will take a good look, but it's odds-on she will go to the Lowther."

Heartache will miss next week's Lowther after failing to recover from a back problem in time.

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The speedy filly pulled muscles in her back when losing her unbeaten record in the Prix Robert Papin behind Karl Burke's Unfortunately.

Trainer Clive Cox had hoped to get her to the Knavesmire, but instead she will be aimed at the Flying Childers at Doncaster's St Leger meeting before running in the Cheveley Park Stakes.

Sam Hoskins, spokesman for the Hot To Trot syndicate who own her, said: "Unfortunately she won't be ready for York.

"It was well documented she pulled muscles in France, but Clive had hoped to get her back for the Lowther.

"It was a race against time and she just wouldn't be quite 100 per cent, so there's no point in going for a race like that.

"We'll go for the Flying Childers now, which is back at five furlongs and we had wanted to run her over six before the Cheveley Park.

"However, on the plus side, she won't have a penalty whereas at York she'd have had 3lb."

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