Queen's Logic

Although Mick Channon was not immediately impressed by Queen's Logic ("she was just a lump of horse flesh"), she soon showed herself to be a potentially useful filly in home exercise gallops, and was campaigned ambitiously from the start.[5] Queen's Logic never ran in a maiden race, instead making her debut against more experienced fillies, including two winners, in a minor stakes race at Newbury in May 2001. After starting slowly, she raced behind the leaders before accelerating into the lead and winning "readily".[6]

For her next start, she was moved straight into Group race company for the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot. Starting at 13/2 she was towards the back of the field in the early stages, before making her challenge two furlongs from the finish. She caught the Aidan O'Brien-trained Sophisticat inside the final furlong and won by half a length[7] Although the 1,000 Guineas was more than ten months away, the bookmakers offered Queen's Logic at odds of 25/1.[8]

Two months later, Queen's Logic returned to the racecourse for the Lowther Stakes at York. This was her first attempt at six furlongs. Apart from Sophisticat, who opposed her again, the field included the Cherry Hinton Stakes winner Silent Honor, who was made the 9/4 favourite. Queen's Logic ran her now familiar race, chasing the leaders before accelerating in the closing stages and taking the lead close home to beat Sophisticat by one and a quarter lengths, with Silent Honor third.[9] Her price for the 1,000 Guineas was cut to 14/1 even though some[10] felt that her sheer speed and racing style suggested that she was essentially a sprinter who might struggle over one mile.

She was given another long break before her final start of the year in the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket in October. This time she started favourite and produced her best performance, taking the lead two furlongs out and pulling right away from the field in a manner described by the Telegraph's correspondent as "effortless and unrelenting".[11] At the finish she was seven lengths ahead of Sophisticat, who finished second yet again. The increasing margins of her victories over the Irish filly clearly showed the improvement Queen's Logic had made.[12] Channon expressed his opinion that the extra quarter mile of the following year's 1,000 Guineas would be "no problem." The bookmakers were also highly impressed, cutting her price for the Guineas to 5/2 favourite.[11]

At three, Queen's Logic was aimed at the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket. Her preparation race for the Classic was the Group Three Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury. Starting at odds of 1/3, Queen's Logic took the lead a furlong out and won comfortably by one and three quarter lengths from Roundtree.[13] Although her performance was described as "fine, rather than scintillating", her price shortened even further to 7/4.[14]

On the morning of the day before the 1,000 Guineas, Queen's Logic was found to be lame. Channon insisted that the injury was not serious,[5] but he was unwilling to risk his filly and she was withdrawn from the race.[15] A plan to run her instead in the Irish 1,000 Guineas had to be abandoned when she contracted a viral infection and began "coughing".[16]

It was hoped that Queen's Logic could recover in time for a run in the Sussex Stakes, but the coughing returned and Channon decided that "it wouldn't be fair" to continue her training. Her retirement was announced in July.