Muchly beats Queen Power at Ascot
Muchly beats Queen Power at Ascot

Much to look forward to in Height Of Fashion at Goodwood


Connections of Muchly are confident she will be seen to better effect when stepping up in trip in the Height Of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood on Thursday.

The daughter of Iffraaj, one of two runners in the race for John Gosden alongside stablemate Shambolic, will race over a mile and a quarter for the first time in the Listed prize.

After failing to feature in the Fred Darling at Newbury on her seasonal return, the three-year-old left that run behind when benefiting from a smart front-running ride by Frankie Dettori in defeating subsequent Listed winner Queen Power in a conditions race at Ascot.

Harry Herbert, racing manager to owners 5 Hertford Street Racing Club, said: "It was a good performance at Ascot. Just after her run at Newbury, John thought she needed stepping up beyond a mile, but she was working nicely and the run at Newbury just brought her on.

"Frankie Dettori rode a marvellous race at Ascot and it was the plan to go for this race, to step her up in trip and see where we are at.

"Frankie knows the filly well - he has opted for the other one, but Rob Havlin is a great substitute. I saw her this week and she seems in great form.

"Goodwood is very different to Ascot, but hopefully she will be fine. She has always been held in some regard by John and it will be very interesting to see if the step up in trip takes her to the next level."

Aloe Vera may lack the experience of her rivals, but her trainer Ralph Beckett feels she warrants an immediate rise in class after making a winning debut at Chepstow earlier this month.

He said: "I'm not going to say she surprised us winning first time out at Chepstow, but she surprised us in the manner she did it, having to come from so far back, as it was not really the plan to be that far back.

"This is a big step up, but she has worked well since Chepstow and I think she is worth rolling the dice with in a race like this.

"She was just very immature last year and she had a few issues and I was not able to train her in quite the manner I would have liked to.

"She has really done it all on her own in getting here, so we will see what happens. Her sister Alyssa took time to get there, but she ended up winning a Park Hill for us."

Andrew Balding feels Cheshire Oaks fourth Grace And Danger has questions to answer now switched to running on a quicker surface, with both her previous two runs coming with cut in the ground.

Balding said: "Grace And Danger ran a very good race in the Cheshire Oaks first time back.

"I am very pleased with her, these are very different ground conditions she is encountering, but that is why we are trying her - to see if she handles them.

"I'd be surprised if she doesn't handle them, but I would not want to put her at any risk. The track is also a big question mark."

The field is completed by Cafe Expresso (Archie Watson), Garrel Glen (Mark Tompkins), Lady Cosette (Harry Dunlop), Love Explodes (Ed Vaughan) and Love So Deep (Jane Chapple-Hyam).

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