Neck second for Lake Avenue in G2 Honorable Miss

Lake Avenue opened up some exciting sprint options as she went down by a neck to G1 winner Bell’s The One in the G2 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga, USA, on Wednesday, 28 July.

Encountering six furlongs for the first time since her debut in October, 2019, the Bill Mott-trained four-year-old was a little slow into her stride but soon recovered to settle in fifth of the eight runners.

She quickened well after being switched out by Junior Alvarado at the top of the straight and briefly hit the front inside the final half-furlong, only for Bell’s The One to swoop from the rear and collar the Godolphin filly in the final strides.

Godolphin USA President Jimmy Bell said: “Lake Avenue ran a winning race and just got beat by a better filly. We have no excuses and she ran her heart out – it was a head-bob down the lane and a very good effort.

“Lake Avenue won a G2 over a mile and eighth as a two-year-old and we thought that she was a two-turn filly, but we have realised since that she is better over shorter trips. She ran a very nice race over six furlongs today and it took a G1 winner to beat her.”