DAVID LODER can underline his strong hand for the 1,000 Guineas by taking today's Shadwell Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket with Maid For The Hills.
The trainer has high hopes of landing the first fillies' Classic with Cheveley Park stakes winner Blue Duster, clear second favourite for the race in most lists.
She heads straight for the Guineas without a prep run and is set to be joined in the line-up by Maid For The Hills who should find this Group Three event run to suit her.
Front-runners Bint Salsabil, Mezzogiorno and My Melody Parkes will ensure the seven-furlong contest is strongly run, ideal for a filly with untapped stamina coming from behind.
Unbeaten, Maid For The Hills fits the bill perfectly. She was doing her best work at the finish when winning a six-furlong maiden on the July Course here last summer and looked to be crying out for a longer trip when leading late on in a Listed event over the same course and distance three weeks later.
She was denied the chance to show what she could do in the top seven-furlong events later in the year as she failed to run again. But recent reports of Maid For The Hills's work on the gallops suggest she can begin make up for lost time this afternoon.
White Plains will also benefit from a step up to seven furlongs in the Equity Financial Collections Handicap. He was never able to challenge when third over six furlongs on his reappearance at Leicester, where the very soft ground was also against him.
The colt promised to develop in to a useful handicapper as a juvenile and can resume his progress today when the big field, galloping track and sound surface will all be/ in his favour.
Much interest will surround the performance of the Lynda Ramsden-trained Advance East in the NGK Spark Plugs Swaffham Handicap. This was the race 12 months ago in which Kieran Fallon was widely criticised for allegedly giving favourite Top Cees too much to do in fifth, particularly after the horse landed the valuable Chester Cup next time.
Advance East has been given an identical build up to his stable-companion, ridden with an eye to the future over a seemingly inadequate trip in an apprentice race at Doncaster first turf meeting of the year.
He also possesses Top Cees's potential for significant improvement once stepped up in distance and looks a very interesting contender on his first attempt at a mile and three quarters.
Passion For Life's recent eight-length triumph in a handicap at Kempton was impressive enough to give him a favourite's chance in the Listed Abernant Stakes.
He has &clearly been much improved by a close-season gelding operation and looks set to make his mark in pattern races before long.
Lady Caroline Lamb thrives on racing and can score on her second outing in four days in the Chat ham Claiming Stakes at Folkestone.
Roger Hoad, whose latest brush with authority saw his licence withdrawn for over a year by the Jockey Club's disciplinary committee last Thursday, is to appeal.
