Trainer Ed Vaughan announced earlier in the season that he would be hanging up his training boots in the UK at the end of this term and he is looking to sign off with a big winner with Dame Malliot entered in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot on Saturday week.
The Newmarket handler will hand in his license at the end of the season and this will be the last big opportunity to land a Group One event in the UK before that and he holds every chance with his star filly.
The four year old has been seen three times this season, winning nicely on her seasonal debut in the Group Two Princess Of Wales's Tattersalls Stakes which gave Hollie Doyle her first ever group winner.
She then headed over to Germany for the Group One Preis bon Europa and finished a smart third and then backed that up last time out in black type company again when anther good third in the Prix Vermeille.
"She has been working over her and I really rate that filly. She will be having some really big entries.”
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 20, 2019
Ed Vaughan has high hopes for Dame Malliot after her impressive @NewmarketRace success 👀 >>>https://t.co/R1DPnKh0Bi pic.twitter.com/Hhk927Ze5f
The form of both of those Group Ones have since been franked with fourth in Germany Barney Roy landing a Group One and first in the Prix Vermeille Tarnawa also landing another Group One next time out.
(Credit ATR) “It’s worked out well, hasn’t it, and you know we were unlucky to be caught on the line for second by Raabihah, and look how well she ran in the Arc,” said Vaughan.
“Wouldn’t it be a fairytale end for me if Dame Malliot went and won at Ascot, but you know it will be a tough race for her.
“It would be a lovely way to go out, but opportunities in these races are few and far between for a trainer like me and at the bread and butter level, at which I’m mostly dealing, the costs are getting higher and higher.”
Dame Malliot has been the yards stable star over the years landing two Group Two events and it would be fitting to see her sign off the trainers career with a black type win.
Vaughan added: “She’s not had a hard season though, with only three runs so far, and after trips to Germany and France since her Newmarket win it’s nice that she won’t have to travel this time.