Knight's Baroness

Knight's Baroness began her racing career at Wolverhampton Racecourse (then a turf track) when she contested a maiden race over seven furlongs on 3 July 1989. Starting at odds of 8/1 in a ten-runner field she finished strongly and finished second, beaten a neck by the John Gosden-trained favourite Star Child. A month later she contested a similar event at Yarmouth Racecourse and started the 4/1 third choice in a four-runner field. Ridden for the first time by Richard Quinn who partnered her in all her subsequent races she led from the start, went clear of her rivals in the closing stages and won by four lengths despite being eased down in the final strides.[5] The filly was then moved up in class and distance for the Group Three May Hill Stakes over one mile at Doncaster Racecourse in October. After taking the early lead and breaking clear approaching the last quarter mile she was overtaken in the closing stages and beaten into second by the Henry Cecil-trained Rafha (later to win the Prix de Diane).

On her three-year-old debut, Knight's Baroness faced Rafha again in the Oaks Trial Stakes over one and a half miles at Lingfield Park (then a turf track) on 12 May and started the 7/2 second favourite behind her old rival. She took the lead three furlongs out and after being overtaken by Rafha she rallied strongly but was beaten a neck into second place. In The Oaks on 9 June the filly started a 16/1 one outsider in an eight-runner field with Salsabil starting favourite ahead of In The Groove and Kartajana. Knight's Baroness tracked the leaders and stayed on kept on well without being able to accelerate, finishing third behind Salsabil and the 50/1 outsider Game Plan.[6]

On 14 July Knight's Baroness was sent to Ireland and started the 13/8 favourite for the Irish Oaks over one and a half miles on good-to-firm ground at the Curragh. The best fancied of her nine opponents were Pharian (winner of the Cheshire Oaks and Lancashire Oaks), the Italian challenger Atoll (Premio Regina Elena, Oaks d'Italia) and the Dermot Weld-trained Crockadore. The 50/1 outsider Assertion set the pace from Atoll with Quinn settling the favourite just behind the leaders. Atoll went to the front in the straight but Knight's Baroness produced a sustained run to wear down the Italian filly, took the lead in the final strides and won by a neck.[7]

Knight's Baroness was moved up in distance to contest the Group Two Park Hill Stakes over one and three quarter miles at Doncaster on 12 September in which she carried a five-pound weight penalty as a result of her Irish Oaks success. After tracking the leaders, she was unable to make any significant progress in the straight and finished fourth behind Madame Dubois, Applecross and Whitehaven.