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This is a competitive fillies’ only maiden over six furlongs, see our betting tips and the full race preview below.
IN SUMMARY: There are some nice fillies in this and Ed Walker’s ART’S DESIRE can come out on top at a nice price. The form of her maiden is nothing special but she did well to get as close as she did to some already raced rivals and with normal progression, she should mount a decent challange here. Desert Rain will be a tough nut to crack with decent form to her name whilst Roubles is worth close attention in the betting.
1 ART’S DESIRE – 40,000GNS purchase as a yearling and she ran a lovely race on debut to finish third behind a nice sort of the William Haggas yard. She should come on a lot for that run and could be a threat here although this is a much tougher maiden than her debut. Ed Walker has been slightly out of form of late, without a winner from his last 11 runners but they have run to a modest standard in defeat.
2 BECK AND CALL – Has finished third on both of her maiden starts and she’s shown some more than enough to win a race of this nature. She returns off a seasonal break so she’ll need to be fit here and she may just need this run before going into handicap company. However, she did finish behind a subsequent handicap winner off a mark of 78 and her form is good enough to win this so she needs close market attention.
3 CRAFTY MADAM – Made a pleasing enough debut behind some nice sorts on debut and she should have learnt plenty from that experience. She should improve plenty for that experience although her pedigree suggests she’ll want further in time and she’ll need a good pace to aim at here to come out on top. Cliv Cox is in good recent form (3 winners from his last 11 runners in the past fortnight) and she has to enter calculations.
4 DESERT RAIN – Well-supported on debut but she ran into an already raced rival that day and did well to finish second. She was beaten by a potentially useful sort and she should be seen to much better effect here with the benefit of that run and the switch into fillies only company. She’s race fit which is a major positive and she deserves to head up the betting here for a yard that have an impressive 28% strike rate at Doncaster.
5 EXQUISITE RUBY – Couldn’t make any headway on two well-supported rivals at Wolverhampton on her last start and she’s likely to find this tough again. This is her first start on turf which shouldn’t be an issue and she’s by Exceed And Excel so she will stay slightly further than this in time. She will receive a rating after today’s race and she may be seen to better effect in handicap company. She’s another that has race fitness on her side.
6 HARBOUR GREY – Went close on debut at Lingfield back in December and the form of those in-behind her that day has been decidedly average. She’ll need to improve upon that initial effort and she has every chance of doing so for a yard in fine form of late (20% strike rate, last 14 days). One that must enter calculations but a few of these have slightly better
7 KULGRI – Well-beaten in two average maidens over today’s trip on the turf last season and she will need to have improved a huge amount to win here. She’s been sent off 40/1 and 100/1 on her last two starts and those prices have accurately reflected her performances having only beaten 1 rival from 23 opponents. There are much safer prospects in this today.
8 MORDOREE – Similar profile to Kulgri in that she has been beaten by sizeable margins in two starts as a 2yo. She steps down in trip today to 6 furlongs which is an interesting move and the tongue tie is removed which she wore on her final start of last season. She’s got an interesting blend of speed and stamina and the drop back in trip should be fine but others are preferred on form.
9 ORIENTAL LILLY – Racecourse debutante for the Jim Goldie yard today. Her pedigree is full of speed given she is by Orientor out of Eternal Instinct (Dam’s sire is Exceed And Excel) and she wears a hood on racecourse debut. She’s unlikely to be ready first time out and she has a tough enough task taking on some already raced rivals here so others are preferred.
10 PACO LADY – The only entrant with an official rating in this and it could barely be lower at just 38. She’s been beaten out of sight on all three starts to date including over a furlong further at Doncaster just under a month ago. She’s impossible to fancy here and will be better suited to handicaps which will still remain a difficult task.
11 ROUBLES – Speedily bred filly and she makes her racecourse debut today. Her dam was a Group One winner on no less than 5 occasions and she should be watched closely in the betting here with George Wood aboard claiming a useful 5lbs. The stable have a 13% strike rate here but they have been relatively quiet of late, without a winner from their last 6 runners in the past fortnight.
12 WILLOW TIGER LILY – John Jenkins rarely has a racecourse debutante winner and this Sakhee’s Secret filly looks no exception to that trend. She looks set to do better when tackling longer distances than this and she’s one for handicaps later in the season when she’s had more racecourse experience. The yard are without a winner from 13 runners here.