BIG RACE PREVIEW: The Cheveley Stakes on Saturday looks set to be a battle between a duo of UK horses and one from Ireland.
It is the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes that often determines the best of the two-year-old fillies generation and this year’s renewal looks as though it may do just that again. The best of the UK is represented by Sandrine and Zain Claudette whilst Sacred Bridge comes across from Ireland having looked as good as anything that has been seen out in that country this season.
Sandrine has been hugely consistent all season and following her victory in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot on heavy ground in June, she went on to Newmarket to land the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes even more impressively on good to firm ground. She then headed to York as a strong favourite for the Lowther Stakes where she met with her first defeat at the hands of another of her rivals here in Zain Claudette. Although she was a step slow away from the stalls there were no obvious excuses and it could be close between them again.
And so what of Zain Claudette? She went into the Lowther Stakes having recorded a very good time when winning the Group 3 Princess Margaret Keeneland Stakes at Ascot in July and she proved that was no fluke when following up at York next time. She is a filly who relishes good ground and who can pick up off a good pace and finish off her race strongly. She comes here on a roll.
Likely favourite Sacred Bridge brings the highest official rating into the race of 111 and she has gained this mark on the back of victory in a valuable Median Auction Race at Naas and a Group 3 victory at the Curragh. She was very impressive at the Curragh when quickening away from a field of fillies and colts to win by just under four lengths from stablemate Geocentric. However the second horse has been beaten at listed level since and the fourth horse is still a maiden after eight attempts. This suggests that the form is at least questionable ahead of a Group 1 test such as this.
Of the rest Flotus, Corazon and Illustrating are proven listed/Group 3 performers whilst Tenebrism could be anything from the Ballydoyle academy however all would have to take a decent step forward to win here. And so in a fascinating contest the suggestion is that whatever beats Zain Claudette will likely go very close to bagging this prestigious prize.
Suggestion: Zain Claudette
Alternative: Sandrine
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