Ten days ago, the 2yo filly Lumiere stamped herself as a filly to watch in Europe during the coming months when she scored a terrific victory in a six-furlong maiden race at Newmarket.
A daughter of Shamardal out of the Tobougg mare Screen Star, Lumiere entered the race as a first-time starter, but emerged as one of the most exciting prospects for the major 2yo stakes races later this year. With William Buick in the saddle for trainer Mark Johnston, Lumiere got off to a very alert start and quickly secured a one-length lead. She maintained that advantage until inside the final quarter-mile, when her rivals were being urged to keep up and Buick finally asked Lumiere for her run. The response was instantaneous, as Lumiere unleashed an explosive burst of acceleration and surged clear of the field as she charged into the uphill finish. With Buick looking back over his shoulders and merely hand-riding his filly through the homestretch, Lumiere crossed the wire in front by six lengths in the time of 1:12.23 seconds.
Bred by Darley and owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Lumiere appears poised to achieve great success in the near future, and it will be interesting to see where she runs next. The prestigious Goodwood meet in England is scheduled to begin on July 28th, and the seven-furlong Prestige Fillies Stakes (Eng-III) at that track could be a possible target.
