| Course: NEWMARKET | Race date:18/04/06 | Race time:3:10 | Runners:9 |
| Race distance:7f | Going:Good | Winners time:1m 23.45s |
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Stall | Weight | Age | RPR | OR | Odds | B High | B Ave | B Low | In run | Finished | Dist Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speciosa | Micky Fenton | Mrs P Sly | 8 | 9-1 | 3 | 107 | 109 | 9/1 | 15 | 10.9 | 5.3 | 1.01 | 1 | |
| Spinning Queen | Michael Hills | B W Hills | 7 | 8-12 | 3 | 101 | 102 | 9/1 | 15.5 | 11.27 | 9.8 | 1.13 | 2 | 1 |
| Salut D'Amour | K Fallon | J Noseda | 1 | 8-12 | 3 | 99 | 105 | 9/2 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 3 | ¾ |
| Sweet Travel | O Peslier | A Fabre | 9 | 8-12 | 3 | 98 | 0 | 100/30F | 4.8 | 4.37 | 3.8 | 2 | 4 | nk |
| Mostaqeleh | Martin Dwyer | J L Dunlop | 4 | 8-12 | 3 | 95 | 96 | 5/1 | 8.6 | 6.61 | 5.3 | 6.4 | 5 | 1¼ |
| Saabiq | Ryan Moore | C E Brittain | 2 | 8-12 | 3 | 90 | 98 | 10/1 | 34 | 14.12 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 1¾ |
| Wasseema | R Hills | Sir Michael Stoute | 5 | 8-12 | 3 | 90 | 0 | 6/1 | 8.4 | 6.34 | 3.95 | 6.4 | 7 | nk |
| Dizzy Dreamer | Alan Munro | P W Chapple-Hyam | 6 | 8-12 | 3 | 81 | 96 | 16/1 | 50 | 23.49 | 16.5 | 17.5 | 8 | 3½ |
| I'm In Love | Steve Drowne | M A Magnusson | 3 | 8-12 | 3 | 79 | 85 | 25/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 9 | ¾ |
Speciosa went into this the best filly on official ratings even under her 3lb penalty for winning the Group 2 Rockfel last autumn and, despite veering to end nearest to the stands' rail, she won a shade cosily, again seeing off Spinning Queen and Saabiq, who were well behind her last autumn.
The rest fanned out going into the final 2f, but did not get a sight of Speciosa.
That she has shown herself to have trained on and has solid lower Group form in the book and led home two solid three-figure rated performers suggests bookmakers have been unusually lenient in going as long as 25-1 (Cashmans, Stan James) and 20-1 (Hills).
It is hard to see her having improved enough to make the 7-10lb improvement needed to challenge the likes of Nannina and Flashy Wings, who have tenuous formlines with her, but they still have to prove their wellbeing.
The other positive to take a piece of the big price is connections reported that she was not fully wound-up for this. The negatives are that she likes to lead and, as in the Rockfel, was gifted an uncontested lead here and she has not looked quite as good on genuinely good to firm ground. She was entitled to post the quickest time of the three over the distance.
Spinning Queen was a shade fresh early on despite being buried in the pack, but swept through holding her line on the inside rail. Even with the errant behaviour of the winner, she could not get past, but has run right up to her best form. She showed she had not had luck in running in the Rockfel in getting closer this time on revised terms to the winner, but again has just been found wanting on the Group scene. She remains devilishly difficult to place to advantage, a remark that applies even more to Salut D'Amour.
Sweet Travel also has solid placed Group-race form and was edging closer to the placed horses in the final 100 yards, having travelled as well as anything through the middle part of the race, positioned nearer the inside rail but failing to match the others when they kicked downhill into The Dip.
Mostaqeleh seemed a bit rusty, just hanging fire as they quickened up before doing some strong running down the middle of the track which flattened out in the last 100 yards suggesting a lack of race fitness. She can improve on the bare form.
Saabiq tracked the pace, but she had a race under her belt and possibly needs to return to her winning trip of six furlongs on this showing.
Wasseema was very disappointing, travelling well enough down the midtrack before getting unbalanced in The Dip, and she was not given a hard time.[BJ]
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