Racing: Fraulein may gain ticket to Canada

Fraulein may be bound for Canada after belatedly getting off the mark for the season at Ascot yesterday. In the frame on all four of her starts this season, she was dropped back to a mile and Listed company in the Valiant Stakes. Sent off the 2-1 favourite, she rewarded her supporters in tidy style, scoring by three-quarters of a length from Cozy Maria.

The win came despite Frankie Dettori putting up 1lb of overweight at 8st 6lb. "In the end she did it okay although I think it has shown us today that she really needs a mile and a quarter," said the filly's trainer, Ed Dunlop, who was ending a lean spell with his three-year-olds. Fraulein's owner, Philip Freedman, added: "I think she was pretty entitled to win on form but it is still a relief to see it happen. There are a couple of Group Three races at Deauville coming up which we could go for and then there is a possibility we could go to Woodbine for the EP Taylor Stakes."

Budelli again showed himself to be a reformed character when winning his third race from his last four in the City Index Rated Stakes. Second in six of his 11 starts last term, Mick Channon's gelding had earned a reputation for being a weak finisher. But Budelli battled to hold Forever Times by half a length, shrugging off the effects of being hit in the face by another rider's whip two furlongs out.

Khulood is as short as 20-1 with Victor Chandler (25-1 with William Hill and Paddy Power) for next year's 1,000 Guineas after making a winning debut in the opener at Ascot. The daughter of Storm Cat showed an impressive turn of foot to beat the well-backed Illustria.