Will the Dahlia Stakes produce another star-studded roster this season?

Sunday: 3.00 Newmarket
Betfair Exchange Dahlia Stakes (Group 2) | 1m1f | 4yo+ fillies and mares | ITV/RTV

Group 2 races do not always live up to their status but last season's Dahlia Stakes delivered in spades.

The winner Lady Bowthorpe subsequently finished second to Palace Pier in the Lockinge before striking at the top level in the Nassau Stakes, while runner-up Queen Power stormed home by eight lengths in a Group 2 on her next outing.

Lavender's Blue, who finished third, captured a Group 2 contest at Goodwood a few starts later and the fourth-placed Indie Angel landed the Duke of Cambridge next time.

Group form is thin on the ground in this season's running of the Dahlia but Dreamloper sets the standard among the British runners by virtue of her third to Saffron Beach in the Sun Chariot Stakes. She is the only runner in the field with Group 1 entries at Newbury and Royal Ascot.

French raider Ebaiyra is the other standard setter. Francis Graffard is returning a £16 profit from his trips to Britain and will be hoping Ebaiyra can provide the first leg of a quickfire double ahead of Malavath's 1,000 Guineas bid. The doubt with Ebaiyra is the trip, as her two best runs were over 1m4f. If this race was a mile and a half, she would undoubtedly be the clear favourite.

Ville De Grace was chalked up as the early market leader but has never contested a race this hot. The notion that Sir Michael Stoute excels with older horses was brought to fruition when Lights On plundered the bet365 Mile on her return at Sandown last Friday and a similar progression can be expected in Ville De Grace's four-year-old season.

There is unlikely to be much between her and Lilac Road, with half a length splitting the pair when they met on the Rowley Mile in October.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

Stoute seeks to extend record

Sir Michael Stoute is the leading trainer in this Group 2 contest with six winners and finds himself in pole position to claim a seventh with Ville De Grace, who drops back in trip following her success in the Group 3 Pride Stakes at the track in October.

The four-year-old is treading a well-worn path from Freemason Lodge to the nine-furlong contest, which was won by Stoute luminaries Echelon (2007), Heaven Sent (2008 and 2009), Strawberrydaiquiri (2010), Dank (2013) and Bragging (2015).

Originally campaigned at a mile, Ville De Grace proved a revelation when tackling longer trips in the autumn and landed the Listed John Musker Stakes at Yarmouth in September before her triumph on the Rowley Mile.

Ville De Grace (left) could progress as a four-year-old for Sir Michael StouteCredit: Edward Whitaker

Stoute has already struck at Pattern level this season with Lights On and Noon Star and the vibes ahead of Sunday's contest are good from the trainer.

"Her preparation has gone smoothly this spring and it's time to get her out," Stoute said. "She ran over further than this last time but should be effective over this trip and has form at the track which is important. The Dahlia is a race we like and we are looking forward to seeing her return."

What they say

Ed Walker, trainer of Dreamloper
She was a Group 3 winner last season and is training well, looking a more mature, complete mare this year. On the evidence of her run in the Sun Chariot Stakes, finishing upsides Mother Earth, there are more black-type races in her and I hope she can bag a big one for her owner, who has chosen to keep her in training.

Francis Graffard, trainer of Ebaiyra
I wanted to run here because she needs pace in her races and that's hard to find in France, where often it turns into a sprint. She won the Prix Allez France last year, so that option is less interesting, and she would have been up against Grand Glory again which is not easy. This looks like a good spot for her and she is already an experienced traveller.

George Boughey, trainer of Romantic Rival
She's been bought with a black-type programme in mind. She was short of work last time and travelled well for seven-eighths of the race and blew up slightly close to home. The step up to nine furlongs will suit her and we'll look to roll forward in the first-time blinkers.
Reporting by David Milnes

Sunday's race previews:

1.50 Newmarket: Which two runners catch the eye for this competitive staying handicap?

2.25 Newmarket: Clarehaven and Gosden aim to chase down Pretty Polly record with Crenelle

3.40 Newmarket: O'Brien hoping Tenebrism will stay as he bids to extend 1,000 Guineas dominance

Catch our in-depth review of the weekend's racing every Monday in the Racing Post. With big-race analysis from Grand National-winning jockey Leighton Aspell, Chris Cook's take on the weekend action, eyecatchers from the Raceform team, weekly awards and much more, it is not to be missed.