Questing to stick to her own plan

If Irad Ortiz has to turn to the whip with Questing, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin would prefer the jockey not, says Geoffrey Riddle.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has pointed Questing, with jockey Irad Ortiz, to the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing in Philadelphia.

Godolphin's Kiaran McLaughlin has sought the advice of John Gosden in an effort to correct Questing's wandering as the filly gears up to contest the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing in Philadelphia on Saturday night.

Questing ran last season in the colours of Princess Haya and was trained by Gosden in England at his Clarehaven stables in Newmarket.

The daughter of Hard Spun ran three times for Gosden before being transferred to McLaughlin in America, where she has developed into the leading three-year-old filly.

McLaughlin ran Questing on dirt in a claimer at Belmont Park in June and she took to the surface so well that she has now added to that success with emphatic wins in the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Alabama Stakes, both of which are staged at Saratoga.

That brace of Grade 1 wins was characterised by Questing making use of good early speed and dominating the opposition before she jinked and hung under her jockey Irad Ortiz in the final few furlongs.

"We haven't trained her in a different way," McLaughlin said. "I was at the Kentucky Sales in Keeneland and I was talking to John Gosden about her. I explained to him she jumped from the stick.

"In England they are not allowed to raise the stick above the shoulder. When the jockey raised it she ducked both in the Coaching Club, where she went out left-handed and in the Alabama where she went in and out, back and forth.

"I will ask Irad not to lift the stick at all until he needs it and then go ahead and do what he needs to do but I'd prefer if he did not hit her." Without access to the whip, Ortiz will have to be at his most encouraging if he is to coax Questing to a third successive victory at the highest level.

The conditions of the race mean that the pair have to give 7lbs to My Miss Aurelia, one of only three other rivals for the US$1 million (Dh3.6m) contest.

My Miss Aurelia, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Corey Nakatani, is undefeated in five starts and was the champion two-year-old filly last season.

She picked up two Grade 1s in 2011, including the Juvenile Fillies at the Breeders' Cup where she had Questing, ridden by William Buick, back in fifth.

Buick was squeezed for room that day and his mount was not quick enough out of the gate to get a prominent position in the 14-runner event.

There will be more than enough room this time, however.

"It's going to be an interesting race for the first half mile - who is in front and how fast we are going," McLaughlin said. "We will probably go to the first turn on the lead. Hopefully Corey will be around a length off us and not pushing us too fast. We've proved we can go fast and keep going.

"My Miss Aurelia showed she could go pace in the Breeders' Cup, though, and the weight concession is a concern."

Despite the lack of runners in the Cotillion it should still provide this season's champion three-year-old filly.

Two seasons ago Blind Luck and Havre de Grace renewed their keenly contested rivalry in a race run just over a mile.

Although Havre De Grace won, Blind Luck went on to be crowned champion three-year-old filly. Havre De Grave was named horse of the year last season.

McLaughlin could have swerved a clash with My Miss Aurelia as the Grade 1 Beldame Invitational on Belmont's Super Saturday card next week would also have been a logical target but he would have faced a similar problem there.

Bill Mott confirmed on Sunday that Royal Delta, who was ninth in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse, will go for the one mile, one furlong contest and McLaughlin's hands are tied somewhat anyway as Godolphin also have It's Tricky, who is pencilled in for the $400,000 race.

McLaughlin also wanted to keep Questing to her own age group in preparation for a tilt at the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic at Santa Anita in November.

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