Does in-form trainer William Haggas hold the key to a difficult fillies' race?

Sunday: 6.15 Haydock
Sky Bet Sunday Series Fillies' Handicap (Class 4) | 1m | 3yo+ (0-85) | ITV4/RTV

This is a fillies' handicap but a couple of these might have black-type aspirations down the line and chief among them is Queen Aminatu.

William Haggas's decision to throw Queen Aminatu in at the deep end in the Listed Coral Distaff last time behind runaway winner Grand Dame was eyecatching given her official rating of 82.

Also noteworthy was her 10-1 starting price at Sandown. Plenty of the trainer's runners are over bet these days owing to the yard's outstanding season, and Queen Aminatu was only two points bigger in the market than second home Oscula.

George Boughey's tough filly has landed a Group 3 in the interim and Queen Aminatu finished five lengths back in sixth. The handicapper allows Queen Aminatu to race off the same mark and she would have found good-to-firm going at the Esher course lively enough. The slight cut in the ground should suit.

A key formline is Tarrabb's two-length beating of Canoodled at Ascot in July and they are unlikely to be far away at the finish. Canoodled has the capacity to avenge that defeat as she fared markedly the best of those held up that day and meets Tarrabb on 4lb better terms.

Hollie Doyle: will ride Celtic EmpressCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

That pull will be needed as Canoodled has raced 16 times, whereas Tarrabb has run only four times having made her debut in May.

She is unexposed, and less exposed still is the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Valley Mist. The daughter of Dubawi enters handicaps off a mark of 83 and winless after three starts, but has the standout pedigree in the field as her dam retired officially rated 105.

David O'Meara and Danny Tudhope combined to win the inaugural running of this last year with Turandot but their hope this campaign, Alpha Cru, has failed to replicate her useful three-year-old form in eight starts this season.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

What they say

Owen Burrows, trainer of Tarrabb
This is a nice race for her and Jim [Crowley] thought stepping up to a mile would benefit her. It will be interesting to see what the ground is like. The times suggested it was slow enough on Friday, but I don't think easier conditions will be a problem for her.

Heather Main, trainer of Celtic Empress
She was too keen and they went no pace over further last time. I'm hoping we can draw a line through that and going back to a mile will suit her much better.

Kevin Philippart de Foy: Rose Barton's trainerCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Kevin Philippart de Foy, trainer of Rose Barton
She opened her account at Windsor last time out and this is a step up in class, but she seems to be improving. She's very consistent and going a mile has helped, so I'm hopeful she can find a bit more improvement. I don't think the ground will be an issue.

Charlie Johnston, joint-trainer of Rainbow Colours
She ran very well at Goodwood on the Tuesday and just bumped into a well-handicapped horse. She then went again on the Saturday and it was a tough ask to run twice in a week, and she probably didn't stay the extra furlong. We're dropping back to a mile and she has been in good form, so we'd expect her to acquit herself well.

Ed Walker, trainer of Canoodled
She's been in really good form this year, but hasn't had the chance to run on her favoured softer ground. We've been waiting for conditions to come right and she's in a really good place.
Reporting by James Burn

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