'She faced an uphill task of Everest proportions that day' - analysis and key quotes for interesting fillies' handicap

Zarga, a nicely bred daughter of Camelot, is likely to have plenty of supporters as she bids to relinquish her maiden status at the sixth attempt.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained three-year-old ran very well when a staying-on second to the 74-rated Spring Fever at Redcar in May, challenging widest of all and, crucially, furthest away from the favoured far rail.

Spring Fever now boasts an official mark of 95 following an impressive success at Newmarket, and time has told us that Zarga faced an uphill task of Everest proportions that day.

It is never ideal for a beaten horse to be raised 4lb but, in the light of Spring Fever’s subsequent achievements, that looks fair.

Decoration, the only course-and-distance winner in the field, has been allocated an opening mark of 80 on the back of her three-quarter-length win over Value Added.

That looked a decent maiden on paper, and the 4-11 favourite Cherry was put firmly in her place in third.

The Roger Varian-trained Frankel filly possesses plenty of scope for improvement on only her fourth start and should not be troubled by the forecast easier conditions underfoot.

Chealamy brings strong recent handicap form to the table, having landed a mile 0-75 at Newbury last month in good style before going down by a neck to Royal Charter over the same trip at Newmarket.

She is bred to find further progress for this step back up to 1m2f, which would give her claims of defying a career-high mark of 82.

Blue Missile drops in class after forfeiting her chance by racing too freely in a fillies’ Listed event at Goodwood in May.
Race analysis by Richard Birch

Chealamy: brings strong handicap form to the tableCredit: Alan Crowhurst

What they say

Sean Woods, trainer of Double March
She won on soft ground when she ran over a mile and a quarter at Ascot, and she was running very well at the royal meeting when she got badly hampered. She was just getting in there and, even though it was a mile and a half, she was just filling up and getting ready to go and run a big race. She'd have been to the fore. We've been waiting for the right race with her for a while, and with this being a fillies' race she'll take her chance. There are a couple of progressive ones in there who you'd have to respect, but she's training well and has been in good form since Ascot.

James Ferguson, trainer of Chealamy
She's in great form and she's come forward for her last run, but we'll see how much rain they get as I don't think she wants the ground too soft. She's very consistent and I'm stepping her up to a mile and a quarter in handicap company for the first time, so hopefully that brings out a little bit more improvement.

Roger Varian, trainer of Decoration
She's a nice filly. She won over course and distance this month in what looked like a nice little race, and she shouldn't mind racing on an easier surface. She's on the upgrade, is progressive, lightly raced and we think she'll run very well.

Mick Appleby, trainer of Ardbraccan
She should have a decent chance. She was very unlucky last time at the track where she didn't get a clear run and was hampered. The step up to a mile and a quarter should hopefully suit her, so she should give it a good go.
Reporting by Harry Wilson

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