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Penwith bids for Beldame

Kiaran McLaughlin aims to provide Godolphin with a second straight win in the Beldame Stakes (17.45hrs local time), with Penwith lining up in the nine-furlong dirt G1 at Belmont Park, USA, on Saturday, October 1.

He trained Wedding Toast, who readily scored 12 months ago, while Music Note (2009), Cocoa Beach (2008) and Imperial Gesture (2002) also carried the royal blue silks to victory in the race for Saeed bin Suroor.

Penwith started out this season with two easy victories at Gulfstream Park, including a three-length success in the G2 Royal Delta Stakes over an extended mile in February.

The five-year-old Bernardini mare then made three appearances at G1 level, headed by a staying-on third in the 10-furlong Delaware Handicap at Delaware in July

She finished second on her latest outing in a valuable conditions race, also over a mile and a quarter, at Thistledown on August 27.

Penwith, drawn four and ridden by Javier Castellano for the first time, features in a field of seven for the 2016 Beldame Stakes, with G1 winners Forever Unbridled, Paola Queen and Off The Tracks set to provide the main opposition.

Kiaran McLaughlin said: "Penwith is doing very well and we think she has a good chance.

"It is probably going to be a wet track, so there are likely to be some scratched horses, but horses by Bernardini seem to like it wet.

"A nice filly beat Penwith last time at Thistledown and we were probably second best, although we didn’t have a great trip that day.

"This is not an easy race but she is doing extremely well and we have a lot going our way."