(Image by: davidmenuisierracing)
Having provided so many highs in 2024, it is only right that the leading fillies and mares get their chance to shine on the season-ending Champions Day. Arc heroine Bluestocking is off for a well-earned rest, but her absence doesn’t detract too much from a quality renewal.
With soft ground the order of the day, here we run the rule over the previous form of those who have displayed a liking for soft or worse going in their previous outings.
Tiffany – 8/1 with bet365
Trainer: Sir Mark Prescott
Sire: Farhh
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:1
Kalpana is a short-price favourite in the big event for the fillies and mares but has yet to tackle soft ground. Others have fewer questions to answer in that regard, including this four-year-old from the yard of Sir Mark Prescott. A winner of three of four starts this season, the first of those came in a soft ground contest at Baden-Baden.
Time Lock – 10/1 with bet365
Trainer: Harry Charlton
Sire: Frankel
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:2371
One of the leading lights from the Harry Charlton yard, Time Lock has taken a while to come to hand this season but bounced back with an emphatic victory in a soft ground edition of the Dubai Stakes last time. That augurs well, but she managed only seventh in the 2023 edition of this.
(Image by: beckhampton_stables)
Danielle – 11/1 with bet365
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
Sire: Cracksman
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:1
With three previous wins, the Gosden team has a decent record in this event and the market rates this Cracksman filly as their most likely contender in 2024. She bombed out in a Listed event at Newmarket last time, but the quick conditions were put forward as an excuse. Her only previous effort on soft resulted in a 12-length romp – albeit in Class 5 Novice company.
Quantanamera – 10/1 with bet365
Trainer: Andreas Suborics
Sire: Lope De Vega
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:1158441
This German filly adds a little international flavour to the field and, having only ever won on soft or worse going, appears to have conditions in her favour. Having landed the Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville last time, she arrives in career-best form.
Queen Of The Pride – 9/1 with bet365
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
Sire: Roaring Lion
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:2
Champion jockey Oisin Murphy gets the leg up on this Roaring Lion filly, who boasts a similar profile to stablemate Danielle. Returning with a Listed second on soft ground at Goodwood, she stepped up to land back-to-back events in Group 3 and Group 2 company before running as though something was amiss in the Yorkshire Oaks. She needs to leave that behind but retains potential.
Grateful – 14/1 with bet365
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Sire: Galileo
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:1
By the greatest sire of all time and out of the Group 1 winning machine Tepin, this O’Brien filly boasts one of the most eye-catching pedigrees of any horse in training. She has been hit and miss this season but posted a career-best effort to land a soft-ground edition of the Prix de Royallieu last time.
Village Voice – 16/1 with bet365
Trainer: Jessica Harrington
Sire: Zarak
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:13121341
Village Voice lacks the attractive pedigree of some of these but has compiled a consistent and steadily progressive CV – notably on soft or worse going, where she has finished outside the first three only once. Appearing to relish the step up to this trip last time, she’s an interesting contender at a double-figure price.
Wingspan– 14/1 with bet365
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Sire: Dubawi
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:1
By Dubawi and out of Hydrangea, who won the 2017 edition of this, Wingspan boasts an appealing pedigree for the task at hand. She’s yet to tackle this far but has hinted that it may suit and comfortably landed her only previous outing on soft.
War Chimes – 20/1 with bet365
Trainer: David Menusier
Sire: Summer Front
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:134
Something of a forgotten horse, War Chimes suggested a big season ahead when staying on well for third in the Oaks but failed to build on that when down the field of the Irish version of that race. The fact she hasn’t been seen since that July outing suggests she has had her issues, but her record on soft or worse is solid enough.
Sumiha – 20/1 with bet365
Trainer: Dermot Weld
Sire: Sea The Stars
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:2
Making only her sixth career start, this Dermot Weld-trained daughter of the great Sea The Stars is one of the more lightly raced contenders on show. An unlucky second on her only previous soft ground outing, she caught the eye when running on well for third in a good ground contest over this trip last time.
Doha – 33/1 with bet365
Trainer: Ralph Beckett
Sire: Sea The Stars
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:1221
By the Arc winner Sea The Stars and out of the dual Arc winner Treve, this Al Shaqab Racing runner may even trump Grateful as the most impressively bred mare in the field. Second to Tamfana in the Atalanta Stakes over 1m in August, she improved to post a career-best over 1m2f in a soft ground edition of the Prix Dahlia last time. She moves up in trip here but could scarcely be better bred for the job.
Thunder Roll – 50/1 with bet365
Trainer: Joseph Patrick O’Brien
Sire: Night Of Thunder
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:114
Making her debut in May 2023, Thunder Roll has won once in each of her two seasons, with both victories coming over this trip on soft ground. Fourth behind Grateful over 1m6f last time, this drop back in trip looks to be in her favour.
(Image by: jessicaharringtonracing)
Royal Dress – 66/1 with bet365
Trainer: James Tate
Sire: Night Of Thunder
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:131713
A winner in Listed and Group 3 company, this James Tate runner looks worth a crack at the top level and handles soft ground. Whether she will stay this far is anyone’s guess – all four wins coming over trips of 6f-1m1f.
Sea Theme – 66/1 with bet365
Trainer: William Haggas
Sire: Sea The Stars
Form Figures on Soft or Worse Going:16
Another daughter of Sea The Stars, Sea Theme is the rank outsider of the field but doesn’t have a mountain to climb with some of these rivals on her best form. A winner of a soft ground event over this trip at Doncaster in 2023, she finished only 2l behind Grateful in France, despite being blocked in the run at a key stage.
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
Paul Harrison
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