Juvenile filly Tiggy Wiggy has claimed her first Group One win to cement favouritism against her elders in the Prix de l’Abbaye.
The precocious two-year-old led all the way to win the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket and trainer Richard Hannon is likely to give her a chance against Europe’s best sprinters at Longchamp on Sunday.
Tiggy Wiggy made her debut on the opening day of the Flat season, registering the first of what six wins, and this latest triumph was again achieved in her typically aggressive style to go two-one up in an evolving rivalry with Anthem Alexander.
The pair first met at Royal Ascot when the Irish filly justified warm market support in the Queen Mary Stakes, but Tiggy Wiggy had subsequently turned the Super Sprint into a procession and earned her revenge when she took first spot in the Lowther Stakes. “She was bought for STG41,000 ($A74,838.00) and is a very good filly,” Hannon said.
“This has shown you can buy a horse for that money and get a top-class one. She’s the two-year-old of the year to me, but she would be.
“I think the owners are very keen to go to Paris. I think the Abbaye comes at a good time. There are no real Breeders’ Cup options so if she’s in great form then why not keeping going.
“This is her year, she’s pretty quick. Getting a mile next year (for the 1000 Guineas) is probably going to be a problem, but we’ll worry about next year then.
“The new race at Royal Ascot (three-year-old sprint) gives her an option next year, which she didn’t have before.”
