Lay & Wheeler Fillies' Novice Stakes (GBB Race)

No comments available for this runner.

Connections were successful in this contest twelve months ago and the stable retains potential here; Shamalza handled the trip last time but never really threatened and was held with ease, and while she acts on good ground and there is ability to uncover, the figures place her behind the top two in this field from stall 3.

Took a maiden at Chelmsford on debut and then shaped with promise upped sharply in trip at Goodwood, keeping on into third; Afraj handles 7f to 1m and acts on good-to-soft and AW, with the drop back in distance likely to help if she settles — a jockey with a fine record at this course and a trainer firing at 29% in the past fortnight make her the one to side with from stall 4.

Placed consistently on good-to-soft and AW before a below-par run back on soft turf at Salisbury last time; Areti is without a win in recent starts but drier conditions today are more in her favour, and first-time tongue-tie and headgear could unlock improvement — that said, more is needed from stall 6 to trouble the principals.

An improvement on her first run when upped to 1m at Yarmouth, beaten 5½l but keeping on into sixth; Esdaile handles today's trip and is clearly developing, though winless in two starts and ranked lowest in the field, she needs a further step forward from stall 2 to be a factor.