'She's been laid out for this' - the Queen's runner primed for Sandringham

Friday: 5.00 Royal Ascot
Sandringham Stakes (Handicap) | 1m | 3yo fillies | ITV/Sky

The Sandringham has been a good race for punters with six of the last ten winners returning a single-figure price, including four favourites who justified their market position.

You could say single-figure priced runners have been profitable to back blind, but this year's edition looks a different kettle of fish and it will require a lot more thinking than just the potential starting price to find the winner.

Weight has been a big indicator in finding the winner of this contest, with six of the last ten runnings going to runners carrying less than 9st. Only last year's winner Create Belief (9st 2lb), Con Te Partiro (9st 5lb), Osaila (9st 7lb) and Duntle (9st 2lb) have carried more in recent years. So maybe looking at the latter half of the weights is the answer?

This doesn't bode well for likely favourite Heredia, who, if overcoming the task of shouldering 9st 8lb, would carry the most weight to victory since the race was renamed in 2001.

However, there is no doubting she is the classiest filly in the line-up on the back of her recent handicap win at York. Everything that could have gone wrong on the Knavesmire went wrong, yet the unbeaten Heredia still found a way to prevail by a neck. She shouldn't be fazed tackling a mile for the first time, either.

Hayley Turner and Charlie Fellowes have been a formidable team in this race, winning two of the last three runnings with horses drawn one and four, and they hold leading claims once again courtesy of Fresh Hope, who will come from stall five.

There are plenty of well treated sorts in the line-up, as is always the case, and the Queen's Discretion is an interesting contender off a mark of 83 under David Egan.

While they are likely to go hell for leather, the Dubawi filly has proved her worth over 1m2f and a mile, and a strong pace would play into her hands.

Frankie Dettori has sided with Crenelle, who will need to bounce back from her Newmarket defeat now back at a mile, while Robert Havlin will partner John and Thady Gosden's second runner Kings Joy.

Harry Davies is a rider on top of his game and Andrew Balding has booked the 5lb claimer on Wilderness Girl.

Varian has confidence in Zanbaq's ability

Roger Varian believes he has a classy filly on his hands in Zanbaq as he goes in search of more Royal Ascot glory following Eldar Eldarov's Queen's Vase win on Wednesday.

The daughter of Oasis Dream justified short-priced favouritism when winning at Haydock last time, going further clear the further she went.

Zanbaq (near side): impressed at HaydockCredit: John Grossick

While she disappointed on good to firm ground at Goodwood in April, Varian believes the fast ground she's likely encounter here will pose her no issues.

He said: "She's a lovely filly who's learning all the time. I think the stiff mile on decent fast ground should suit her. She's got a fair bit of weight to carry, but she's a classy filly who I hope will run very well."

Gatecrasher Girl transformed at three

Trainer William Knight has a filly improving at a rate of knots in Gatecrasher Girl.

The daughter of Lope De Vega has won her last three races, climbing an accumulative 18lb in official ratings, and arrives here on the back of her best performance on Racing Post Ratings at Doncaster 13 days ago.

Winless throughout her juvenile campaign, Gatecrasher Girl has progressed plenty from two to three.

Knight said: "She's a progressive filly and she loves fast ground. She's one of those that you don't quite know how far they're going to progress, but she's in great form and the stiff mile should suit her. At some point she'll want to go further, though."

What they say

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Lullaby
We think she's on a nice enough mark and we're hopeful of a good run. She's a nice filly.

John Warren, racing adviser to the Queen, owner of Discretion
She has been laid out for this race and is in good form at home. She has a good weight as she is just coming of age and we think she could be a nice improver.

Ed Dunlop, trainer of My Silent Song
She's an outsider but she has been doing well. She has a low weight, she's tough and I think she'll stay well.

Charlie Fellowes, trainer of Fresh Hope
She's a filly I've always liked. I was very disappointed she got beat on her reappearance at Wetherby, but she didn't quite get home that day and the winner went on to run a great race in the Oaks. We dropped her back to a mile last time, rode her patiently and she won a shade cosily. On her homework, she still has a bit in hand, but you also have to say that on the track she has been a bit disappointing. That said, I do think the race will suit her and it would be wonderful for Hayley Turner and I to win this together for the third time in four years.

Dave Loughnane, trainer of Augmentarium
I never believed she'd get in off a mark of 78 so it's a shot in the dark, but she's a nice filly.

Friday at Royal Ascot:

2.30 Ascot: 'She's working really well and she's probably overpriced' - key Albany quotes

3.05 Ascot: 'He's in the form of his life' - analysis and quotes for the Commonwealth Cup

3.40 Ascot: Why it could pay to look past two market leaders in the Duke of Edinburgh

4.20 Ascot: Thady Gosden: Inspiral is ready for a race but she will improve from it

5.35 Ascot: Can punters trust the quick Derby turnaround time in the King Edward VII?

6.10 Ascot: Wesley Ward: We've just been messing but now we're planning to get serious

View the latest runners and riders using our Royal Ascot racecards, and get our experts' Royal Ascot tips all in one place.