Speed Of Sound set for Doncaster after promising York run
Owner Phil Cunningham has indicated that Speed Of Sound is likely to head to Doncaster after the filly produced a solid effort to finish third in the Harry’s Half Million By Goffs at York.
Although the Richard Spencer-trained juvenile was beaten by Aidan O’Brien’s impressive winner, she proved competitive in the closing stages to claim the £58,660 third-place prize and outperformed her starting price.
Doncaster target confirmed
Speed Of Sound is entered in the British Stallion Studs ‘Carrie Red’ EBF Fillies’ Nursery Handicap at Doncaster on 10 September, a race Cunningham previously won with Stay Classy in 2018. Connections have earmarked that race as a likely next assignment as they assess the filly’s programme for the remainder of the season.
Two youngsters pushing each other
Cunningham noted that Speed Of Sound and another Spencer-trained two-year-old, Sexy Chick, have been closely matched throughout the summer. Sexy Chick was fifth in the Group Two Lowther Stakes at York earlier in the Ebor Festival and, alongside Speed Of Sound’s recent placing, the pair have given stable staff encouraging signs.
Plans beyond Doncaster
The owner also confirmed there are further juvenile prospects in the yard that have yet to make their racecourse debuts. Several of those were acquired at sales, and Cunningham said he is keen to bring them to the track before the end of the season.
In addition to the Doncaster plan, Cunningham expects to campaign horses at the Ayr Gold Cup Festival next month. He recalled the stable’s success at Ayr last year and is considering taking a larger team to the Scottish meeting this time around.
Festival connections and context
- The Harry’s Half Million By Goffs at York is one of the feature juvenile sprint contests staged during the Ebor Festival; Speed Of Sound’s third place there has enhanced her profile.
- The British Stallion Studs ‘Carrie Red’ EBF Fillies’ Nursery at Doncaster is a valuable race for two-year-old fillies and forms part of the autumn nursery programme at the St Leger meeting.
- Ayr’s Gold Cup Festival is a key late-summer fixture that often attracts a broad entry list from across Britain and Ireland; stables frequently use the meeting to give runners black-type or valuable nursery experience.
Where things stand
Speed Of Sound’s placing at York has given connections a clear route for the autumn, with the Doncaster nursery now pencilled in. The ongoing head-to-head with Sexy Chick and the arrival of other unraced juveniles in the stable mean there will be further interest in Richard Spencer’s two-year-old furlong specialists as the season moves into September.
For racegoers and followers of the major late-summer festivals, Speed Of Sound’s next start at Doncaster will be a useful indicator of her progression and how she stacks up among the nursery-placed fillies of 2026.
