Empress Stakes 2011

2.15 Newmarket

totesport.com Empress Stakes (Fillies Listed) (Class 1)  (2YO only)

Winner £12,206

Pick: Lily’s Angel (each/way)

Act Your Shoe Size: Brought for 8,5000 Gns after winning a 5f Musselburgh Seller with fair bit to spare from subsequent winner (that in claimer) with a long gap to the rest; Hard to see that form being good enough & put in place at Newcastle just 2 days ago.

Hawfinch: Penny took time to drop but did the job more than well when running out a ready winner of AW maiden on debut;  Runner-up has since let down form but more to come and can surely improve from that.

Hidden Passion: Seemed amiss when pulled up on debut and relief to see her back when showing she had ability when second to Viola d'Amour at Haydock 9 days ago (effectively a debut); Yard demands respect for their record with these types even though this asks a lot more of her.

Lily’s Angel: Raced exclusively at 5f on first 4 career starts, going through first three races unbeaten before bumping into useful pair in hot Beverley event; Only fifth in Albany latest but that against some strong types and unsuited by the soft ground; Can go better here and Mosse a fascinating booking.

Misty Conquest: Improver with racing whose clear cut maiden win came here in far lower company & took advantage of easy lead/weight concession from subsequent Listed placed Caspar Nestcher latest; This again a rise in class but stable will know the order of their juvenile string. 

My Propeller: Underwent transformation for first run when destroying her maiden field by 17 lengths on the bridle last time out, barely coming out of a canter; Has to be favourite on that impression for all we will find out what she’s about today.

Nayarra: Bumped into Vocational first time out and again seemed to find a good one just better when turned over at 2/5 next time out but same story again latest and others preferred.

Pearl Diva: Handled with care when making late headway into third in fairly average looking maiden on face of things first time out (Leicester, was 11/4 fav); Second string for her stable and others far preferred.

Pendle Lady: Sprung a shock when making marked improvement for first effort when shock winner of what looked weak maiden at Pontefract and that confirmed when runner up well beaten in better race next time.

Queen’s Revenge: Defied appalling start/blatant unreadiness to win from good yardstick at Ripon and then got shafted by a poor draw (carried at start when favourite went really wide) when raing with no cover to be second in very strong race latest; Can do better here and Ryan Moore booking bodes very well.

Red Larkspur: One of quite a few who made significant improvement from their debuts when winning in clear cut style at Kempton last time; That quite a drop in class from this though and others preferred.

The Clan MacDonald: Created a good impression when winning at Hamilton (6f) earlier this month from a subsequent winner and demands respect; Yard has a good strike rate with juveniles and top jockey booked.

Weood: Can surely do better than her poor showing first time out at Haydock when toiling form some way out but this not the time for her.

Worthington: Won Carlisle maiden (good to soft) despite decisively despite meeting some mid-race trouble but didn’t run to that form when midfield at Royal Ascot; These not necessarily calmer waters and stable may have better candidates.

VERDICT: My Propeller made a terrific impression at Pontefract and would be the one to beat on that, although others hold stronger form claims and in what may be a hot race, the each/way suggestion is LILY’S ANGEL, who gets the vote ahead of Queen’s Revenge.