Lily’s Angel, unbeaten in three outings, heads to Beverley tomorrow evening with strong claims on the feature event.
The £21,500 Hilary Needler Trophy is the target for the Malton filly, who got off the mark on this course in April and has since followed up at Newcastle and at Chester in Listed company in the Lily Agnes Stakes.
Trained by Richard Fahey, Lily’s Angel is plainly a very talented filly, but she faces a searching test in this prestigious contest, which has attracted nine runners, seven of which are previous winners.
Dozy and Queens Revenge, debut winners for Kevin Ryan and Tim Easterby, are bold held in high regard, while Vocational, trained by Mark Johnston, finished an excellent second in Listed company at York to the unbeaten Miss Work Of Art.
Lily’s Angel, a stable-mate of Miss Work Of Art, has done precious little wrong to date. In the hands of Paul Hanagan, she is napped to extend her winning sequence to four and confirm herself one the leading juvenile fillies of the season.
William Haggas supplies the most likely winner of the opening beverley-racecourse.co.uk Maiden Fillies’ Stakes in Elmaam, the mount of Richard Hills.
Twice raced and in the frame on each occasion, Elmaam looked an unlucky loser at Chester earlier this month when, after a tardy start and meeting trouble in running, she finished second in maiden company. Compensation looks on the cards.
Lee Topliss, among the winners at York last Saturday when scoring on Common Touch, can add to his tally on Saint Thomas in the Kevin Donkin Memorial Handicap.
The John Mackie-trained gelding finished fourth to Danderek on this course last time out, having previously finished runner-up on the all-weather at Wolverhampton. Saint Thomas was previously a winner on this track and Topliss is claiming a handy 5lb allowance.
Bryan Smart’s speedy Move In Time should be hard to beat in the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Conditions Stakes over five furlongs.
The three-year-old went down by only half-a-length in a competitive conditions race at York earlier this month. He can go one better under Tom Eaves.
Up at Ayr, Divine Call will be a popular choice among punters in the William McCluskey Handicap.
Trained at Newmarket by William Haggas and the mount of Kieren Fallon, the four-year-old got off the mark at Southwell last time out. He enters this handicap off a tasty-looking mark of 78 and, being a son of Pivotal, should relish the forecast easy ground.
Casino Night is another who revels on an easy surface and Dale Swift’s mount is selected to open her seasonal account in the Atlas Communications Fillies’ Handicap.
The six-year-old, trained by Barry Murtagh, has run well in all her three starts this term. A previous winner over this course-and-distance, she should make a bold bid.
Racing selections
Ayr
2.10 Holy Roman Warrior, 2.40 Ballinargh Boy, 3.15 Judge ‘N Jury, 3.50 Divine Call, 4.25 Casino Night, 4.55 Oh Landino, 5.25 Prince Rhyddarch.
Beverley
6.30 Elmaam, 7.00 Saint Thomas, 7.30 Lily’s Angel (NAP), 8.00 Move In Time, 8.30 Lady Gar Gar, 9.00 Residence And Spa.
Tomorrow’s other meetings
Newton Abbot, Sedgefield and Southwell.
Today’s other meetings
Chepstow, Exeter, Huntingdon, Lingfield and Ripon.
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