Impressive debut scorer Spicy Marg could have her talents tested in the Star Sports National Stakes at Sandown on route to Royal Ascot.
Plans had been in place to send the Michael Bell-trained two-year-old to York last week for a tilt at the Marygate Stakes following her stylish success at Newmarket earlier this month.
However, an outing in the five-furlong Listed contest on the Knavesmire had to be scratched for the daughter of Main Desire after she produced a dirty scope in the build-up to the race. But with the filly now back firing on all cylinders, an outing in the five-furlong Listed event at Sandown could be taken up ahead of a tilt at the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes at the Royal meeting.
Nick Bell, son and assistant trainer, said: “Spicy Marg actually scoped dirty before the Marygate so we decided not to run.
"She will either now go to the National Stakes at Sandown Park or straight to the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.
“She has not done a whole lot since her run at Newmarket, but I think we saw enough that day to suggest she is a good filly.
“She is very similar to her mother. She has a lot of speed like she did, but I would say she is a bit bigger than she was.”
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Should Spicy Marg not head the Esher course, connections are happy heading to the Queen Mary, for which she is as short as 12/1 at this point, on the back of just the one run.
Bell added: “It doesn’t bother me if we were to go straight to Ascot as she is very straightforward. She travelled very sweetly at Newmarket and she picked up well.
“If we didn’t go to Sandown, and we needed to, we might take her away for a day, but I would be happy to send her to Ascot on the back of that run.”
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