1m British Stallion Studs EBF Dick Hern Stakes (Listed Race) (Fillies & Mares) (Class 1) (3yo+)
This a moderate looking Fillies & Mares Listed Stakes over at what is going to be a rather wet-looking Haydock Park on Saturday afternoon. There doesn’t appear to be a course specialist lurking in this one, but there could be a few improvers.
The favourite Miss O’Connor had her first start for William Haggas six days ago having switched from a shrewd trainer over in Ireland. She absolutely trounced her opposition at Nottingham on similar going and it looks menacing that she is turned out so soon afterwards.
But the form of her maiden success is pretty weak and I’m not convinced she beat much last week either so her 7/4 odds looks pretty skinny as she carries a 7lb penalty against the three-year-olds.
FELICIANA DE VEGA could be the superstar filly in the line-up and is unbeaten in two starts having already claimed a Listed success over in Deauville last December. That form really stands out amongst these filiies and Ralph Beckett does normally do well with his three-year-olds.
I’d probably liked to have seen a bit more juice in her price than the 11/4 on offer with her seven-month absence from the track the main concern. But these colours have done pretty well over the last year or so with her half-sister Manuela De Vega going close in some Group 1 affairs.
This daughter of Lope De Vega should have no problem with the conditions with his progeny delivering a +20% strike rate when there is soft or worse on the going stick. The yard have demonstrated a lot of patience in training her, introducing her quite late as a two-year-old and now doing the same in her three-year-old campaign. But she looks worth the wait.
Agincourt and Red Starlight both look solid-enough, and with the late withdrawal of Ardiente, the race doesn’t appear to have that much depth to take on the principals.
1.5pts win Feliciana De Vega @11/4, 14:30 Saturday, Haydock (Coral)
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