Simon Holt heads north to Pontefract where he has a couple of eyecatching selections on Monday - check out his latest preview.
Newmarket trainer David Simcock sends a couple of runners north to Pontefract on Monday and is fancied to strike with ALCHIMISTA in the Volkswagen Van Centre (West Yorkshire) Ltd Median Auction Maiden Stakes.
This once-raced daughter of Archipenko looks likely to find plenty of improvement after shaping nicely at Newmarket over seven furlongs in October when making some late headway to finish in seventh of the 20 runners.
That effort looks even better now than it did at the time as the winner Chamade was a creditable third in a listed race at Newbury on Saturday while Astrogem (fourth), Lyrical (fifth) and Queen Gamrah (sixth) have all run well since.
An extra furlong on this stiff course can only suit Alchimista and she needs only to have come on for that debut experience to run a big race in this company.
Splinter is probably the danger though probably failed to run up to the level of his first run at York last season when third at Newcastle recently.
Later, Simcock runs the useful Lady Of Shalott in the listed Pontefract Castle Fillies Stakes though, like all the other runners, she has a bit to find with the likely short-priced favourite Antonia De Vega on official ratings.
The latter ran creditably in just three starts last season finishing sixth to Star Catcher at Ascot on Champions Day and then fourth in a Group One in Germany.
This stiff course should suit Antonia De Vega but she is not unbeatable and there may be some each-way value about EVA MARIA if we can secure double-figure odds.
Richard Fahey's daughter of Sea The Stars was progressive last season and, after finishing second on this course, won competitive fillies handicaps at Ayr and Newmarket over a mile and a quarter, on the latter occasion out-staying her rivals.
The impression that Eva Maria is ready for this step up to a mile-and-a-half was endorsed on her recent reappearance in the Group Two Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket where, having been almost detached in last place at one stage, she made good late progress into fourth, albeit some way adrift of Terebellum, Queen Power and Magic Lily who are all set to run at Ascot this week.
Clearly, this is a drop in class and, with that run under her belt, it wouldn't be the biggest surprise over this new trip if Eva Maria shook up the favourite.
Posted at 1625 BST on 14/06/20
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