One of Beverley’s two fine sprint races with the other being the Beverley Bullet, the Hilary Needler Trophy is a race for two-year-old fillies and is run on a prime Saturday afternoon every June, just ten days before Royal Ascot with some winners of this going onto the royal meeting itself.
Although downgraded from Listed status to a Class 2 conditions race in 2011, the quality of the young fillies taking part in this race has not slipped and in fact, the 2019 runner-up Rose of Kildare went on to land two Group 3 races at Ayr and Newmarket.
Previous winners include Mark Johnston’s all-conquering subsequent 1000 Guineas winner Attraction, and at around £40,000 in prize money, the contest remains not only one of Beverley’s most important events of the year but also a key stop-off for many top trainers in the summer with well thought of fillies.