4.00pm Ascot Tips & Betting Preview 14/07/2017

A small but select field for this fillies handicap, as seven chase a first prize of just under £13,000. Read on for our runner by runner preview for the race and our expert tip.

IN SUMMARY: Both Stoney Broke and Dawn Horizons are open to plenty more improvement in 2017 but the former showed a clear form best on the all weather last time and the latter may just be sharper for this initial outing. CAMERONE showed a great attitude to dig deep and prevail last time, in a race where they got motoring a long way out. She ran in the Lingfield Oaks trials first time up so is evidently well regarded, she can continue her progression here.

1 CLIFF FACE – Rapidly progressive through the lower handicap ranks in 2016, she finds herself still nine pounds higher than her last winning mark, which came at Class 4 level. She has run poorly on both starts this season, a return to the all weather, rather than running here, might be the key to seeing her back to form.

2 DAWN HORIZONS – Proved herself adaptable, winning on both extremes of ground last season. She hasn’t been seen since August, when run of things close home in a similar race to this at Newmarket. She is entitled to improve plenty this season, unexposed after just five career starts, but she might just need this return to action against race fit rivals.

3 FASHION PARADE – Another who is yet to be seen in 2017, she begins her campaign a pound higher than when placed in a pair of Kempton handicaps in the autumn. She didn’t exactly look straightforward under pressure last season, she looks another who will benefit from the cobwebs being blown away here.

4 ALLUMAGE – Has faded close home on both starts so far this year, understandable given that she was returning off the back of a seventeen month absence. She was thought of well enough for her previous yard to run in a pair of Listed races, so perhaps she will be better than she has shown, but needs to step up massively on her 2017 form to figure.

5 STONEY BROKE – Clearly had her problems with just four career runs for the four year old, but she looked like she would make up for lost time at Newcastle when last she ran. Always travelling sweetly, she is full value for the nine pound rise given to her by the assessor. Given her profile, it would be folly to think that there isn’t plenty more to come, especially in the hands of James Fanshawe, she looks a big player in this field.

6 NATHANIA – Got off the mark at the fourth time of asking at Bath in a run of the mill maiden. She has improved on that form since stepping up into handicaps, three lengths in front of Cliff Face last time out. That looked a solid race for the grade, but she is going to have to settle far better in this race than she did there to give herself into a winning position.

7 CAMERONE – Showed a great attitude to get up in the shadow of the post over this trip at Beverley last time. That was only a small field of three runners, but there was no hiding place, the race heating up from a long way out. This is a step back up in class, but she was considered good enough for an Irish Oaks entry and to run in the Lingfield Oaks trial first time up this season. Evidently well regarded and likely to be more to come.