Stoute targets Group 3 glory with Frankel filly Sun Maiden

Betfair Casino Hoppings Fillies' Stakes (Group 3) | 1m2f | 3yo+ | Sky

This race is one of the modern highlights of the Northumberland Plate meeting and invariably attracts classy fillies from across the country – there has been only one northern-trained winner since 2009.

But they are not just pot-hunting. Covert Love went on from victory in this four years ago to land the Irish Oaks next time out for Hugo Palmer.

That was the final running on turf and the quality has been maintained since the switch to Tapeta, recognised by its upgrade from Listed to Group 3 status last year.

Stoute and Crowley teaming up again

Sir Michael Stoute has a fantastic record on the Tapeta surface at the track.

The trainer, who won the very first Hoppings Stakes in 1999, was quick to spot the opportunity offered by this race's promotion to Group 3 class last year.

He took the prize with Smart Call, who scored with authority under Jim Crowley that day, and bids to repeat the trick with Frankel filly Sun Maiden 12 months on.

Track record
Sir Michael Stoute has had nine winners from 26 runners on the all-weather track – a 35 per cent strike-rate.

The Khalid Abdullah-owned filly looked ripe for a step up in class when landing a Listed event over this trip at Nottingham last time and has experience of the surface, having made her debut at Wolverhampton as a two-year-old.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Sun Maiden's owner, said: "She's progressed really nicely, she ran a great race at York and then went on to win a Listed race at Nottingham. A mile and a quarter looks a good trip for her and the straight, galloping track should suit her."

Roger Varian: double-handed in the Group 3 eventCredit: Edward Whitaker

Last year's second bids to go one better

Roger Varian won the first Hoppings Stakes run on Tapeta with Nezwaah, who went on to land the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on this weekend two years ago.

He went close here last year with runner-up Rasima, who is expected to go close once again.

Varian said: "Rasima ran very well in the race last year, finishing second, and this has been the plan for some time. She's shown her best form on the synthetic so we're hoping she'll bounce back to peak form, which would see her have a chance. The trip and the track conditions should play to her strengths."

The trainer also runs Ayr Listed winner Shenanigans, who finished ninth in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot last week.

He added: "Shenanigans is in good form and ran a great race at Ascot last week. It's a shame the rain came on the Wednesday, she travelled well and didn't quite pick up on the soft ground. She's shown good all-weather form at Kempton and I hope she can transfer that to Newcastle. Her win at Ayr was a strong performance and if she can repeat that she'd have first-three aspirations."

Three three-year-olds bid to upstage their elders

Nezwaah is the only three-year-old to have won this race since it switched to the all-weather but the trio of that age today include the Ralph Beckett-trained Glance.

Glance (green) ran well in France last timeCredit: Edward Whitaker

She finished third in the Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly last time and is expected to be well suited by this step up in trip.

Beckett said: "Her three-parts sister Regardez won this in 2014 and she looks like she wants a step up in trip. She was flat out at halfway last time but it was a good effort and this looks the right place for her. I think we can be confident the surface will suit her, based on pedigree."

Of her contemporaries, Blue Gardenia was a Listed winner at two and finished ninth in the Investec Oaks last time, while Rainbow Heart steps into Pattern company for the first time.

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