3 minute read

Albany Stakes heroine ‘will be hard to beat’

Connections of Albany Stakes winner Main Edition are confident she will take a step up in trip in her stride in the german-thoroughbred.com Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

The Mark Johnston-trained daughter of Zoffany will bid to leave her effort in last month’s Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at the track behind by attempting to concede 3lb to her rivals on her first try over seven furlongs.

Charlie Johnston, the Middleham handler’s son and assistant, said: “Main Edition has come out of the Duchess of Cambridge fine and we don’t envisage the step up to seven furlongs being an issue, although the Lowther is still an option going forward.

“She was in the process of running below-par before getting badly hampered last time out and she got a bit upset beforehand down at the start that day so hopefully we have ironed that out since.

“If she bounces back to her Ascot form giving weight away shouldn’t be a problem and we feel she will be hard to beat.”

Charlie Appleby hopes the slower ground can help La Pelosa unlock more improvement as she bids to score for the first time since making a winning debut at Kempton in May.

The Newmarket handler said: “La Pelosa has been a consistent filly this year. She broke her maiden first time out and she was second in the Albany and placed last time out.

“She will appreciate this cut in the ground. If she brings the Albany form to the table and finds a bit of improvement on the ground she should go close.

“It was disappointing that she got beat at odds-on last time at Sandown but the ground was probably quick enough.

“She has been wanting a bit of cut in the ground and this is the first chance she is going to get it.”

Having partnered Ajrar to victory on her debut at Lingfield, jockey Tom Marquand hopes he can maintain his unbeaten record on the Richard Hannon-trained daughter of Nayef, who finished second in a course-and-distance Listed event last time out.

He said: “She impressed us first time out. A lot of what she had done had pleased us at home and we thought she would run quite well.

“The plan was always to step her up after her debut run and that is why we were so impressed that she won over six furlongs as she was always going to want further.

“She ran extremely well in a Listed race last time and took that form from her first run forward and going into the race it all points in the right direction.

“She is a good-moving horse and I don’t think the ground will be a problem for her unless they get lots more rain.”

Richard Spencer has his team in good order and hopes California Love can give him a second Group Three winner of the season.

He said: “She stepped up on her debut and won well last time out over course and distance.

“It is a step up in class again but she is in good form at home. She deserves a chance in a race like this so hopefully she will run a nice race.

“She has not worked on any ground like this so we won’t know whether she handles it or not until after she has run.”

The field is completed by Pennywhistle (John Gosden), Model Guest (George Margarson) and Impulsion (Roger Varian).