May Hill (horse)

May Hill made her racecourse debut over six furlongs at Ascot Racecourse on 9 October in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (not the current race of the same name) for two-year-old colts and fillies which had not run before 22 September. Ridden by the Welsh jockey Geoff Lewis, she started a 20/1 outsider[3] but produced an impressive burst of acceleration in the closing stages to win by a length from the colt Red Lever, who was conceding eight pounds.[4]

May Hill took time to reach her best form in 1975. On her seasonal debut she contested the Fred Darling Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury Racecourse in April and finished second, beaten three lengths by the Italian-trained filly Carnauba. She bypassed the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse and reappeared in the Musidora Stakes over ten and a half furlongs at York Racecourse in May. As in her previous appearance, she looked short of peak condition and finished second, but produced a better performance and was only beaten a head by the winner Moonlight Night.[1]

On 7 June, May Hill contested the 197th running of the Oaks Stakes at Epsom. Looking unsuited by the firm ground, she turned into the straight in eleventh place and although she made sty progress in the closing stages she finished a distant fourth behind Juliette Marny, Val's Girl and Moonlight Night. The filly then returned to winning form in a minor race over a mile and a half at Haydock Park Racecourse, winning easily from her only opponent. In August at York Racecourse, May Hill faced Juliette Marny again in the Yorkshire Oaks, and started at odds of 4/1.[5] Ridden by Pat Eddery, she won the race by one and a half lengths from Light Duty, with Juliette Marny in third. The result was only confirmed after a stewards' inquiry into possible interference caused when May Hill hung to the left in the closing stages.[1]

In September, May Hill was moved up in distance for the Park Hill Stakes over fourteen and a half furlongs at Doncaster Racecourse. Starting at odds of 13/8[5] she was restrained by Eddery for most of the race before taking the lead two furlongs from the finish and winning impressively by one and a half lengths from the Irish-trained filly Tuscarora. Later that month, May Hill was sent to France to contest the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp Racecourse. She started the 4/1 third favourite and ran well, but proved no match for the two leading French fillies and finished third, beaten one and a half lengths and eight lengths by Ivanjica and Nobiliary.[1]

May Hill remained in training as a four-year-old, and was campaigned mainly in staying races, but failed to win in five attempts. On her seasonal debut she finished third to Marco Ricci and Major Green in the Paradise Stakes over two miles at Ascot in May and then ran second on her next appearance. She then sustained a serious injury when running third behind Mr Bigmore in the Lymm Stakes at Haydock. She was then off the racecourse until autumn, when the best of her two runs came when she finished third to Bright Finish and Shangamuzo in the Jockey Club Cup.[6]