Rosdhu and Rizeena to score as fillies take C4 centre-stage
Published:It’s all about the fillies on today’s Channel TV card, with Newmarket awash with races for the fairer sex and York getting in on the act as well. Two of Royal Ascot’s better lady performers Rizeena and Roshdu Queen are expected to vouch for the worth of that meeting’s form in their respective contests at Newmarket and on the Knavesmire.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Dream Wild comes from some noble stock – being sired by Oasis Dream out of a Selkirk mare – and is fancied to post an improved performance after a substandard showng in her most recent run at Salisbury. She was sent off a 1/2 favourite before disappointing on that occasion, so more was clearly expected and early money this morning is an encouraging sign.
That poor run was over 1m2f on good to soft going and came on the back of a polytrack maiden victory over 1m. With this in mind, today’s 7f on good-to-firm ground should be far more up her street and as the least exposed filly in the contest, she can make amends from the foot of the handicap.
This Grade 2 fillies’ sprint is priced up like a match between Rizeena and Bye Bye Birdie and preference here is for the former who finished some nine lengths in front of the re-opposing Aidan O’Brien representative at Royal Ascot. The latter handed Albany Stakes third Heart Focus a three-length beating on her next start, but has had one more race in her short career than Clive Brittain’s charge and there’s no reason Rizeena shouldn’t improve at least as much as her rival.
The step up to 6f should pose no problems for the Brittain filly, who finished that 5f Ascot contest strongly and it’s worth noting that her efforts that day can be upgraded as she was the only one of the first four home that raced up the middle.
Unbeaten as a juvenile and far from disgraced in her Classic year to date, Rosdhu Queen is a confident selection. She took the Group 1 Cheveley Park over course and distance last term and also beat the re-opposing City Girl, Sandreamer and Sound Of Guns at York in 2012.
Whether or not she’d trained on from her juvenile exploits may have been in doubt after her Guineas trial loss to Maureen, but that reverse came over 7f on good-to soft ground. A close fifth in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes over today’s 6f trip at Royal Ascot suggests she has and the fast ground at Newmarket will be more to her liking, with that latest defeat her only one in five races on good ground or faster.
The Macmillan Charity Sprint Trophy won by Body and Soul at York a month ago acts as a good entry point for figuring out this tricky heat, with Moviesta (second) finishing highest of the seven who contested that race that rendezvous once more here. Heaven’s Guest is 4lbs better off with that one, despite finishing just one-and-a quarter-lengths in arrears and could gain revenge for the downing of his hat-trick bid in that York affair.
Having finished inside the first four in six of his last seven runs he looks a worthy each-way wager in a field of 20, especially with the excellent Ryan Moore in the plate for the first time.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
