16:00 Ascot

Friday 12 July 2019

All14:1514:5015:2516:0016:3517:1017:45

Alvarium British EBF Fillies' Handicap

Off time: 16:03 | Winning time: 2m 32.43s

(2)

Hameem¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-0| J: Dane O'Neill| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 94| D

7/1

Headed into the Listed Pontefract Castle Fillies' Stakes (1m4f, good) seeking a four-timer but bombed out (finished last of eight); returns to handicapping on a retrieval mission from a career high mark.

Form: 2211-18

(7)

White Chocolate^p1²³

Age: 5| Weight: 9-6| J: A Kirby| T: D M Simcock| OR: 86

7/1

All four of her wins have come with some ease in the ground (mainly on good to soft); ran respectably over 1m6f at Chelmsford latest; cheekpieces are applied as she bids to better her close third in this contest in 2018; stablemate of Birch Grove.

Form: 306-444

(5)

Birch Grove¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 8-10| J: Harry Bentley| T: D M Simcock| OR: 76

7/2

Made all and always in control when turning over an odds-on favourite in a four-runner affair at Windsor (1m3½f, good to firm) in May; in very deep in the Listed Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket latest; stablemate of White Chocolate.

Form: 1-33214

(3)

Bella Vita³¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-9| J: Charles Bishop| T: Eve Johnson Houghton| OR: 87

5/2

Aussie Rules filly who is unbeaten so far in 2019 (3-3); took the switch to soft ground in her stride when a very game winner at Salisbury (1m2f) last month; a further 6lb higher seeking a four-timer; tough task.

Form: 26-111

(6)

Cape Islay¹³

Age: 3| Weight: 8-8| J: Jason Watson| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 86| D

9/2

Back to winning ways (third career success) when edging out Overhaugh Street by ½L at Chester (1m4½f, good to firm) a fortnight ago; 4lb higher; evidently versatile in terms of underfoot conditions.

Form: 21-3661

(1)

Sneaky Peek²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-2| J: M Dwyer| T: A M Balding| OR: 80

7/2

Redcar maiden winner (1m2f, good to firm) - race weakened by the late withdrawal of a long odds-on favourite; beaten a neck in a three-runner contest on handicap debut at Goodwood (1m4f); 2lb higher; trainer won this race in 2018 with Maid Up.

Form: 2712

Rule 4

Rule 4 applies to board prices only - deduction 5p in the pound

Non-Runners

(4)

Dono Di Dio¹⁶

Weight: 9-2| Age: 4

T: M Madgwick J: Liam Keniry

Forecasts

Bella Vita (5/2), Birch Grove (7/2), Sneaky Peek (7/2), Cape Islay (9/2), Hameem (7/1), White Chocolate (7/1), Dono Di Dio (7/1)

A devilishly difficult fillies' handicap. Hameem and Bella Vita have run up sequences but have plenty more work to do from their revised handicap marks in order to continue to progress. David Simcock saddles two runners including the 2018 third White Chocolate who wouldn't be at all inconvenienced by a rain shower or two, while Sneaky Peek remains unexposed and represents Andrew Balding who took this race 12 months ago with Maid Up. However, the very tentative advice is to side with the consistent and stamina-laden DONO DI DIO who might fare better again for the more experienced handling of Liam Keniry.