Cat takes Cheveley Park test Holy Cat reverts to her own sex in the Connolly's Red Mills Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday. The daughter of Kitten's Joy made a big impression on her Leopardstown debut before chasing home Aidan O'Brien's Intelligence Cross in the Round Tower Stakes at the Curragh. "It's a big step up for her and she's only had the two starts," said trainer Michael O'Callaghan. "When you win your maiden as easily as she did, you don't learn a lot and she showed her inexperienced in the Round Tower. It was her first run in a Group race, she was against the colts and got trapped out on the wing and ran green. "It's a small but quality field on Saturday, but our filly has come on a lot from the Round Tower and the ground will suit her." The Cheveley Park is one of the few top-level contests to so far elude O'Brien and he fires a twin assault in a bid to right that statistic. Brave Anna beat the reopposing Lowther winner Queen Kindly when landing the Albany Stakes at the Royal meeting, but has since been disappointing, while Roly Poly claimed the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on the July Course before finding Queen Kindly too strong on the Knavesmire. Wesley Ward insists there will be "no excuses " for Lady Aurelia if she is unable to keep her unbeaten record intact. The American speedball was brilliant in the Queen Mary and, i n comparison, her assured triumph in last month's Prix Morny at Deauville was a little underwhelming, but having enjoyed a smooth preparation in Newmarket under the guidance of big-race pilot Frankie Dettori, Ward - who arrived in the UK on Thursday morning - expects his star filly to return to her brilliant best. He said: "She looks fantastic and I think she's as good as we can have her. Frankie has helped us out a lot while I've been back home for the last few weeks and there will be no excuses come Saturday. "The filly is getting older and faster. She's got three races under her belt and knows a lot more about racing now. She's had good spaces between her races and seems to have settled in well here at the National Stud, so we're really excited. "The Cheveley Park Stakes is a very prestigious race. I've been waiting for the right filly to come along and I think we have her." Despite his positivity, Ward insists he has the utmost respect for Lady Aurelia's rivals, with the Richard Fahey-trained Queen Kindly chief among them. "You know going into any major race that the competition is going to be deep," said the trainer. "I've read Richard Fahey's comments about his filly, who is sired by Frankel, and he seems pretty confident as well, which is great - it makes for good racing. "May the best filly win and I wish them the best of luck, I just wish ourselves a little bit more luck."
