The Acclamation filly MARSHA (IRE) took the honours in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York’s Ebor Festival. The Dark Angel (IRE) sired Battaash (IRE) and American raider Lady Aurelia were anticipated to provide a battle of the best but it was the latter who set a nice pace from the early stages. MARSHA (IRE) followed in suit along the stand side tracking the leaders but ran into a bit of bother with a lack of space just over a furlong out. She came out of the pack chasing Baataash (IRE) and Lady Aurelia but with rider Luke Morris driving her to the line, she battled on well to score by a nose over Lady Aurelia with Cotai Glory three and three quarter lengths back in third.

She won the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp at the back end of last year and came out on top in her reappearance this season in the Group 3 Palace House Stakes. The Sir Mark Prescott trained filly has been playing quite the second fiddle to a lot of her peers this summer finishing third most recently in the Group 2 King George Stakes at Goodwood but now seems back at her best.

By Rathbarry Stud’s Acclamation and out of the Marju (IRE) mare Marlinka she was bred by her owners’ Elite Racing Club. She is a half-sister to Judicial (IRE) a dual black-type placed performer. She is also closely related to Champion Older Horse in Europe 2004, Soviet Song (IRE) and Champion Older Female in Ireland 2015, Ribbons.