French fillies to the fore in 1000 Guineas and Dahlia Stakes
I’LL BE waving my French flag at Newmarket on Sunday as I’m keen on the chances of two fillies trained across the English Channel both of whom are trained by Francis-Henri Graffard.
The first is MALAVATH in the Qipco 1000 Guineas (3.40pm), who I’m confident will put up a bold show in the first fillies Classic of the season.
I’m siding with her as like the fact she’s had a prep run while many of her key market rivals haven’t.
That prep came in a Group Three at Deauville where she dismissed a smart field with ease and she looks more than worth a go at this.
Granted that came on a soft surface over seven furlongs and the majority of her form has come with cut in the ground, but she handled a mile on fast ground at the Breeders’ Cup so I’m not too worried.
There was lots to like about that performance as well as her run last time, so she looks the play at around the 7/1 mark.
In the proceeding Dahlia Stakes (3.00pm), I fancy the chances of EBAIYRA.
The five-year-old is quite lightly raced for her age but had some smart form when trained by Alain de Royer-Dupré and she’s put in two solid showings since moving to Graffard.
Those came on good-to-firm ground in Saudi Arabia and on very soft ground at Longchamp, so she’s very versatile and given the fact she’s finished outside of the first three only twice in her 13 career starts, she’s about as consistent as they come too.
This doesn’t look the strongest of Group Twos on paper, and she might just outclass her rivals at 7/2.
POINTERS SUNDAY
Ebaiyra 3.00pm Newmarket
Malavath 3.40pm Newmarket