BRITISH STALLION STUDS E.B.F./32RED.COM MAIDEN FILLIES´ STAKES (CLASS 5) (2yo) Winner £3,340 ATR Standard 7f Number of runners: 12
An intriguing fillies' maiden stakes with a number of top trainers ruefully searching for a weak contest. Bar one or two, the juveniles are lightly raced but it's noticeable this field can best be categorized by those who can and those who can't win. The betting will most likely reflect this opinion with a stark divide for those fancied against a number of rags.
One filly catches the eye - Last Hooray. Trained by David Elsworth, this filly has already been beaten by one of today's opposition - Bouyrin - but don't let that factor dilute your enthusiasm. This January foal looks the type to improve a good deal on her initial start at Kempton over 6f. The way she finished illustrated there would be improvement to come. This daughter of Royal Applause is well bred being a granddaughter of the exceptional Dead Certain. Race fans will remember this multiple pattern-race winner who proved victorious in the Cheveley Park Stakes (Group 1). It would be a near miracle for her offspring to achieve a fraction of that success. However, I would be surprised if Last Hooray doesn't enjoy success in her racing career. Moreover, improvement should be seen after a satisfactory first start.
Elsworth features a poor strike rate with his debutantes, which is a feature of their training regime. After being positioned at the back of the field, the characteristic 'kind introduction' was very much the order of the day & part of her natural learning curve. Turning courses are often quite testing for inexperienced horses and reason why connections rarely press their debutantes unless precocious or trained for the day. This filly ran on well in the closing stages but wasn't pressed.
Her able trainer has a pretty healthy strike rate at this course over the last five years (17%) and the only entrant for the stable on the day. Liam Keniry rode this youngster on debut and that will be an asset. This step up to 7f is a positive and a fair draw should see a professional start from the stalls. This home bred from Usk Valley Stud should be fit and ready and a fair each way selection.
Conclusion: A handful of fashionable trainers will be fancying their chances and there could well be a couple of tough nuts to crack. Last Hooray will have learned a lot from that debut effort and this step up in distance should give her a little more time to find her feet. In many ways this bay filly is the type to progress with racing but she should hit the frame and fighting chance of the win.