11.30 Santa Anita
Breeders´ Cup Ladies´ Classic (Grade 1) (3yo+ Fillies &
Mares) (Dirt) (3yo+) Winner £774,194
Advice: 2 pts Questing w/o Royal Delta and Awesome Feather
(5/2 Hills),3 pts place Questing (8/11 Ladbrokes)
Grace Hall: Top class as juvenile, however no match for My
Miss Aurelia when the two clashed in the Fillies Juvenile of last year; Not had
quite as much success this time around, exposed when third in Kentucky Oaks and
then having burst when chasing relentless pace in Albama Stakes; Easy wins
either side of that confirm her class but much more needed here and worry she’ll
be chasing the early tempo. 
My Miss Aurelia: Unbeaten in six starts, deeply impressive
when winning Frizette and Fillies Juvenile last year; Didn’t return until
August this year but proved all her ability remains intact and more when getting
the better of Questing in prolonged stretch duel at Parx in Cotillion; Can’t
deny how well she did to win, but was getting 7lbs from the runner up and
slowly run race suited; Needs more today but major player. 
Class Included: 10-16 but best is Grade 3 win and just not
good enough. 
Questing: Startling improvement since coming fifth in Juvenile
for John Gosden last year, running out an impressive winner of American Oaks
before sensational victory in Alabama Stakes, running out a 9 length winner off
her own startling fractions in Alabama; Unable to give 7lbs and beating to My
Miss Aurelia but went slowly and off different weights, should reverse form
today; Putting away this field will be immensely difficult but as good as any
here.
Awesome Feather: Practically romped the Juvenile Fillies at
Churchill Downs two years ago but career threatened by injury; Brought back by
Chad Brown in some style since, winning Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct last year in
some style at the backend of last year and winning easily twice since then; Has
to be seriously respected. 
Royal Delta: One of the most impressive winners of the
meeting when eased down late to win this last year, and has been extremely
impressive when she’s had things drop her way since, notably when running away
with the Beldame and Delware Handicap; Needs a strong pace to have a crack at,
but if getting it (and it looks as if the pace is set to be strong) has to be
the one to beat. 
Include Me Out: Third behind Love And Pride in the Zenyatta
Stakes latest, where he may have wanted a stronger gallop to chase; Won the
Clement L.Hirsch Stakes but needs much more here and others preferred. 
Love And Pride: Able to get away with settling modest
fractions on a speed favouring track when running out a ready winner of the
Zenyatta Stakes; Needed 10lbs from Royal Delta to beat her by half a length in
the Personal Ensign and won’t be doing so tonight.
VERDICT: Arguably the race of the weekend, with last year’s
dominant winner returning to take on the two unbeaten winners of the Juvenile fillies.
They may all be upstaged by QUESTING, who produced a performance as good as any
in this field when thrashing her contemparies in the Alabama two starts ago.
She just failed to beat My Miss Aurelia last time in the Cotillion when setting
a slow pace, but she was also giving 7lbs in weight that day and can be
expected to improve either setting or sitting off her own stronger fractions.
Royal Delta will be very hard to beat as always, making the place option the
most viable way of backing our shout, while only a fool would rule out Awesome
Feather.
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