15:25 Newbury

Saturday 18 July 2020

All12:3013:0513:4014:1514:5015:2516:0016:3017:00

bet365 Aphrodite Fillies' Stakes (Listed)

Off time: 15:25 | Winning time: 2m 32.1s

(9)

Bella Vita¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: Charles Bishop| T: Eve Johnson Houghton| OR: 96| D

28/1

Enjoyed a fruitful three-year-old season, rising quickly through the ranks courtesy of a four-timer (1m2f-1m4f); was facing a very tough task off top-weight (10st) when fifth in a Class 2 fillies' handicap at Sandown (1m2f) 13 days ago.

Form: 1125-55

(11)

Hyanna¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-2| J: Georgia Dobie| T: Eve Johnson Houghton| OR: 99| D

12/1

Won for the sixth time (from 25 starts) when turning over the odds-on favourite Severance in a three-runner affair at Windsor (1m3½f, good to firm) on recent seasonal reappearance; sights set higher today; stablemate of Bella Vita.

Form: 61647-1

(3)

La Lune³³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: David Probert| T: H Candy| OR: 95

7/1

Lightly-raced Champs Elysee filly; bustled up Ralph Beckett's Antonio De Vega (Makawee third) in the Listed Pontefract Castle Fillies' Stakes (1m4f, good); should strip fitter for that run - her first for 13 months or so; key player.

Form: 61-2

(4)

Makawee¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 9-2| J: A Kirby| T: D O'Meara| OR: 100| D

9/1

Finished hot on the heels (third) of the less exposed La Lune in last month's Listed Pontefract Castle Fillies' Stakes (1m4f, good); simply wasn't in the same league as easy winner Manuela De Vega in the Grp 2 Lancashire Oaks next time.

Form: 203-532

(8)

Shailene³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-2| J: R L Moore| T: A M Balding| OR: 102| CD

6/1

Cajoled into the lead by Oisin Murphy when scoring narrowly over C&D (good) last September; below that level of form so far this season, including when pulling hard in the Class 2 Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot (1m6f).

Form: 3314-40

(5)

Tribal Craft¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: Oisin Murphy| T: A M Balding| OR: 94| D

8/1

Made all, and always doing enough to score in a Class 3 handicap at Kempton (1m4f) earlier this month - bumped into the Glasgow Stakes third Tulip Fields previously; stablemate of Shailene.

Form: 7267-21

(6)

Vivid Diamond²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: F Norton| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 103

13/2

Very highly-tried after winning the Listed Chester Stakes (1m6f+) by 5L last August; finished last of four to Universal Order in the Listed Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket (1m4f, good to firm) three weeks ago; may improve for that run.

Form: 71336-4

(10)

Cabaletta¹³

Age: 3| Weight: 8-5| J: David Egan| T: R Varian| OR: 95

12/1

Took the scalp of the Riddlesdale winner (and Oaks third) Frankly Darling in a Yarmouth fillies' novice (1m, heavy) last October; no match for Franconia in the Listed Abingdon Stakes here (1m2f) on seasonal reappearance; retains plenty of potential.

Form: 1-24

(2)

Lady G³⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 8-5| J: Hollie Doyle| T: W J Haggas| OR: 80

7/2

By Golden Horn (€270,000 foal); has shown promise on both starts to date, most notably when third to subsequent Newbury winner Majestic Noor (runner-up Katara also an easy winner since) in a 1m2f Yarmouth fillies' maiden.

Form: 4-3

(1)

Virgin Snow²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-5| J: Jason Watson| T: E A L Dunlop| OR: 98| BF

11/2

Beautifully-bred Gleneagles filly (from the 2010 Oaks & Irish Oaks heroine Snow Fairy); found only Nkosikazi too strong when a heavily backed favourite in the Grp 3 Hoppings Stakes at Newcastle (1m2½f) three weeks ago; stamina to definitively prove.

Form: 43-12

Non-Runners

(7)

Moll Davis³⁶

Weight: 9-2| Age: 4

T: George Scott J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Lady G (7/2), Virgin Snow (11/2), Shailene (6/1), Vivid Diamond (13/2), La Lune (7/1), Tribal Craft (8/1), Makawee (9/1), Moll Davis (10/1), Cabaletta (12/1), Hyanna (12/1), Bella Vita (28/1)

The Listed Aphrodite Fillies' Stakes has been taken by a three-year-old in six of the last ten years, most recently via God Given (2017), Worth Waiting (2018) and Dame Malliot (2019), so Roger Varian's CABALETTA can continue that developing trend in 2020. She retains plenty of potential, having run well in defeat to John Gosden's Franconia in the Abingdon Stakes here (1m2f) last month. Although weak in the finish (behind Makawee) in the Lancashire Oaks subsequently she does have a fine pedigree for this 1m4f trip, and could well be double the price of the Hoppings Stakes runner-up Virgin Snow. Of the older horses, the lightly-raced La Lune should be afforded maximum respect.