Andrew Asquith has two selections at Newmarket in his latest Sunday column.
Sunday View: Sunday May 3
1pt win Lilt in the 13:45 Newmarket at 6/1 (bet365, William Hill)
1pt e.w. Inis Mor in the 15:35 Newmarket at 20/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4)
Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook | Free bets Betfair Sportsbook
The Oliver Brown Pretty Polly Stakes has a habit of throwing up a good one, subsequent Oaks winners Talent and Taghrooda both successful in 2013 and 2014, respectively, while Friendly Soul beat Kalpana in 2024 and both went on to win at Group 1 level, also.
Esna sets the standard in this year’s renewal following her fourth placed finish to Diamond Necklace in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac, but Brian Meehan has had a slow start to the season, yet to saddle a winner and most of his horses have been in need of the run.
That is a slight concern if you are taking short prices about her chance, while there are several totally unexposed fillies who have the potential to improve greatly now moving up in trip.
The Gosden stable have a fantastic record in the Pretty Polly and Oaks entry Sacred Ground is sure to develop further as a three-year-old looking at her pedigree, by Kingman and out of the stable’s Oaks winner Anapurna. She will relish the longer trip and is potentially smart.
The William Haggas-trained LILT also has a striking pedigree, though – she’s out of high-class mare Dank – and she made a promising start when making a winning debut in heavy ground over seven furlongs at Doncaster at the back end of last season.
The bare form is nothing special, and the time she posted doesn’t knock the eye out, either, but she overcame inexperience to get the job done and the two who followed her home were both choicely-bred fillies, too.
Lilt was well positioned making the running in a slowly-run race, the pace only lifting two furlongs from home and she wasn’t doing much in front, but every time the runner-up came to her she went again under just a hands-and-heels ride, leaving the impression she had much more in the tank if needed.
That experience won’t be lost on her and this step up to nine furlongs is sure to suit. It will be much faster ground at Newmarket, so hopefully that won’t hinder her given she has got quite a rounded action, but she represents a yard that had three winners at the track on Friday, and brings untapped potential to the table.
The Dahlia Stakes looks wide open, which the market also reflects, and nothing is tickling my fancy at prices, while the same can be said for the staying handicap which also features on ITV’s coverage. I toyed with Yashin, who won the Sagaro Stakes on return last season, and generally has a good record when fresh. He’s potentially well treated from a mark of 101 and first time up might be the time to catch him given how his form curtailed off last year.
The Betfred 2000 Guineas looks a cracker and Precise will likely take all the beating judged on her romp in the Fillies’ Mile over this course and distance on her final start last season. She had Venetian Lace and Evolutionist in her wake that day and she promises to raise her game further this year, though she hasn’t had the smoothest preparation and that puts me off at her current odds.
I have reservations whether Venetian Sun will stay the trip, the same with The Prettiest Star, while I’m also not sure True Love has the scope to improve as much as some of the others have.
Therefore, with most bookmakers paying four places, it looks cherry ripe for an each-way play with one at bigger odds, and the one I feel is overpriced is INIS MOR.
She won her first two starts last season over seven furlongs on the July Course, beating a next-time-out winner on her debut and the form of her second win has some substance to it, too.
Inis Mor lost her unbeaten record in a valuable event at Longchamp on her final two-year-old start, but she lost little in defeat finishing second to a more speedier type, while she was caught wider than most that day which wasn’t ideal.
She didn’t necessarily improve on her recent return in the Nell Gwyn recently, but I thought she shaped like the best prospect in that race, one of the last to come off the bridle having tanked her way into a challenging position at the two furlong marker, but just not having the tactical speed challenge the principals in the closing stages.
The return to seven furlongs probably wasn’t in her favour, while she was also fresh enough in the early stages, but she continued to close all the way to the line once meeting the rising ground, and she promises to be well suited by the return to a mile in a race where she’ll almost certainly get a strong pace to aim at.
I think she’ll come on a great deal for that run – she has plenty about her physically – as many of David Menuisier’s runners tend to do, and she has a similar profile to Tamfana, who was arguably an unlucky loser in this race a couple of years ago for the same connections.
Preview posted at 16:00 BST on 02/05/2026
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org
