THE Group 2 Sky Bet Lowther Stakes for two-year-old fillies seemed to be all about daughters of the incomparable Frankel.The unbeaten Fair Eva, winner of the Princess Margaret at Ascot and probably Roger Charlton’s best young filly for a good few years, was made 4/11 favourite but could finish only third behind Richard Fahey’s Queen Kindly. She is also by the superstar who is making such a name for himself as a sire as well as a racehorse.

O’Brien’s Roly Poly was trying to concede the pair 3lb and emerges with plenty of credit after establishing a slight lead and holding on until just inside the final furlong. Queen Kindly and Jamie Spencer quickened up to account for him by three-parts of a length, with Fair Eva the same distance away after holding every chance. With Nations Alexander over four lengths adrift in fourth, and a winning time 0.16s fast, this looks very smart form indeed. Unfortunately Michael O’Callaghan’s Magical Fire suffered a career-ending injury, the daughter of Dragon Prince ran below par coming home last of the eight runners.

Fahey goes his own way as a trainer and uses the smaller tracks when the situation demands it. Queen Kindly, for example, had won twice at lowly Catterick, a venue that seldom produces winners at group level. “The odds never reflected her chances,” Spencer said. “She never missed a beat today. She was gutsy and tenacious. She’s a gorgeous filly and Richard fancied her.”

OWNER-BREEDER

Frankel’s owner-breeder, Prince Khalid Abdullah, owns and bred Fair Eva, and Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd bred Queen Kindly from their 2009 Lowther winner Lady Of The Desert, who won the Group 2 Diadem Stakes the following year.Queen Kindly races for Jaber Abdullah and Paddy Power made her 8/1 (from 20s) for the Qipco 1000 Guineas, easing Fair Eva from 4/1 to 10/1. The winner is unquestionably very talented, but Fahey is not sure about a mile next year.

“It did her no harm dropping back in grade at Catterick after a poor experience at Ascot,” he said. “She’s in the Cheveley Park and we’ll discuss that, but you’d have to wonder if her breeding on the dam’s side (Lady Of The Desert was a sprinter) makes her a Guineas filly. We’ll see.”

Charlton makes his words count and seldom has much to say after a disappointing defeat. However, Pat Smullen pointed out that Fair Eva had sweated up beforehand before running flat. It would be very foolish to give up on her at this early stage.