New plan needed for Amazing Maria

David O’Meara will have to re-evaluate his plans for Amazing Maria following the filly’s surprise win in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes.

The four-year-old only joined O’Meara’s yard this season from the Ed Dunlop stable, but belied her 25/1 starting price to run out an impressive winner of the Group 2 contest thanks to a fine ride by James Doyle.

Amazing Maria had won the Group 3 Prestige Stakes at Goodwood as a juvenile before finishing last behind Taghrooda in last year’s Oaks on her seasonal reappearance.

She finished third to subsequent Royal Hunt Cup runner-up Temptress in an Ascot handicap over a mile on her first start for O’Meara in early May.

Another third-place finish followed in a Group 2 at the Curragh before she fulfilled the promise of her juvenile campaign by beating the likes of Rizeena and Integral in the Duke of Cambridge.

O’Meara will now consider where to go next with Amazing Maria, with the likes of the Falmouth Stakes and the Sun Chariot Stakes among the races likely to come up in conversations.

The trainer also felt sympathy for Danny Tudhope, who rode Amazing Maria on her first run for the yard but is missing Royal Ascot with a broken thumb,

“I will have to I think,” O’Meara told Racing UK when asked if he will have to re-evaluate her campaign.

“She was a Pattern filly at two and then lost her way at three. We were lucky enough to inherit her this year. I didn’t know what to expect but we knew we had a filly capable of a big performance, as she had shown at two, if we could get her back to something right.

“I feel sorry for Danny sat at home with a broken thumb but James is the beneficiary and it’s worked out well.”