‘She has an amazing turn of foot’ – Papilio impressive in Appalachian

Despite showing signs of greenness, the filly came with a storming run from the back of the field under Javier Castellano to take command and win by a cosy neck from Cairo Consort.

“Boy, she could be something,” said trainer Mark Casse. “She has an amazing turn of foot. If she ever learns to run a straight line, who knows how good she is? She’s actually a sweetie. She just runs in different directions. I think once she gets it around here she’s going to be very tough. We’ll head to Churchill after this.”

“I covered her up and I liked the way she picked up so quickly,” said Javier Castellano. “She was looking at the crowd a little bit but she really finished good, I didn’t have to use her much. I liked the way she did it.”

Three-year-old Papilio was a private purchase out of Fozzy Stack’s yard last season on behalf of owners of D. J. Stable LLC, Medallion Racing, Barry Fowler and Parkland Thoroughbreds. She had a successful first season in Ireland, winning two races and running second in the Listed Coolmore Stud Churchill Stakes. She showed immediate promise in the US when a head second on her seasonal debut in the Grade Three Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The 28th stakes winner for Coolmore’s Starspangledbanner, Papilio was bred by SCEA Marmion and Alain Jathiere out of Glafyra.

Her win came on the same day that yearling purchase Noche Magica was named a ‘TDN Rising Star’ with an impressive victory on debut for Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi and Paddy Twomey at Cork. The Night Of Thunder colt was purchased from his co-breeder Mountarmstrong Stud at last year’s GoffsUK Premier Sale.