John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Sunday.
Cathedral can land competitive Dahlia
Newmarket’s Dahlia Stakes (14:20), a Group 2 contest over nine furlongs for older fillies and mares, has attracted its first double-figure field since 2011, the 13 declared a marked increase on last year when only five went to post.
The betting looks open in this competitive renewal, but the pair who are a little clear of the rest on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings are Cathedral and Survie who have already met this season. They finished third and fourth respectively in the listed Snowdrop Stakes at Kempton in March over a mile, both running below their best but with valid excuses. For Survie at least, the trip was on the sharp side, and she could have done with a stronger gallop as she got going too late.
The extra furlong here shouldn’t go amiss for Cathedral, either, as she finished 2025 with a career best effort when stepped up to eleven furlongs for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, finishing fourth at Del Mar to Gezora. Amo Racing’s filly has kept good company ever since making a successful debut at two for Ralph Beckett and, with that Kempton run under her belt, she deserves to add to that success. Now with the in-form Kevin Philippart de Foy, who has the ‘Hot Trainer’ flag, Cathedral also has the ‘Horses For Courses’ flag, having run well in the Oh So Sharp Stakes here at two.
Precise hard to oppose in 1000 Guineas
Three Group 1-winning fillies from last season head the ratings in a high-quality renewal of the 1000 Guineas (15:35) and the same trio look the ones to concentrate on in this big field. For both Venetian Sun and True Love, this will be a first try at a mile for a pair of fillies who were each successful at Royal Ascot. Venetian Sun won the Albany Stakes there before going on to win the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and then beat the colts in the Prix Morny, while True Love won the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot before victories in the Railway Stakes at the Curragh and the Cheveley Park Stakes later in the year.
True Love’s successful reappearance in the Priory Belle Stakes at Leopardstown last month over seven furlongs showed that she’s not simply a sprinter, but she does look the Aidan O’Brien second string to Precise who has rock-solid claims as the top two-year-old filly last year and is proven over both course and distance.
Successful in her last four starts last year, Precise ended her campaign with Group 1 successes in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and the Fillies’ Mile, a double also completed by the stable’s Minding who herself went on to win the 1000 Guineas. Precise had Venetian Sun back in third at the Curragh, but she ran her best race when stepped up in trip at Newmarket, asserting quickly once leading over a furlong out and winning by just over three lengths with even more in hand. That earned Precise the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag, and with further improvement to come she can win her trainer an eighth 1000 Guineas.
Plaid can go one better up in trip
‘Hot Trainer’ James Fanshawe has his string in excellent nick, with two winners on the last day of April bringing his total for that month to nine. But rather than at his home track of Newmarket, his sole runner on Sunday goes at Salisbury where Plaid looks the one to beat in the fillies’ handicap (15:48).
The daughter of Ghaiyyath has had just the three starts, all over a mile, and she got off the mark at the second attempt at two when winning a novice at Kempton in December, running green but shaping as though she’ll stay further than the dam’s side of her pedigree might suggest.
Plaid returned to Kempton for her handicap debut on her reappearance in March and, while she couldn’t justify significant support, she showed improved form to finish second, splitting a pair of other fillies making their handicap debuts. Leading a furlong out, she was headed in the final hundred yards but kept on to go down by a neck to Art Gallery, earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag. Heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and open to further improvement over this longer trip, she can resume winning ways.
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