Amo Racing's two-year-olds are in flying form - will this continue in the Marygate? Plus Harry Wilson's expert view on this year's field

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Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing are prominent in the Marygate market with Lover Girl and Lady Blanche.

But this is a competitive field. The ten runners have won ten of their combined 15 starts, with Angels Passing the only unraced filly in this 5f juvenile contest for fillies.

So how do you go about assessing a field with so much potential and so little form to go on?

Amo off to a flying start with their juveniles

Big-spending Amo have made a flying start with their two-year-olds this season, notching five wins from 15 runs in Britain.

Punters should have some awareness that Amo do well with their youngsters – they've had 109 two-year-old winners in Britain in the last five years – and yet backing their juveniles blind this season has yielded a useful level-stakes profit of £7.75.

Lover Girl, trained by Kevin Philippart de Foy, sets the standard on Racing Post Ratings based on her win at Salisbury this month, while Lady Blanche, trained by Karl Burke, also took a good step forward by winning on her second outing.

It should be worth noting that, for all Amo's spending, their two Marygate fillies cost relatively modest sums at £18,000 (Lady Blanche) and 42,000gns (Lover Girl).

Princesse in the pack?

Owned by Cheveley Park Stud, Princesse D’Orange heads the market and is one of only two runners in the field of ten to have been sent off favourite on their debut. She justified the support for her in emphatic fashion.

Out of the Cheveley Park-owned Anna Of Lorraine, Princesse D’Orange is a half-sister to 6f winner Diligently and produced an eye-catching debut when comfortably making all to score by four lengths for trainer David O’Meara.

"She made a lovely start at Beverley a few weeks ago," said O'Meara. "She is from a lovely Cheveley Park family, and we were delighted with her debut. She’s in good order, and we’re looking forward to seeing her run."

Price-tag toppers

Karl Burke's 26 per cent strike-rate with his two-year-olds last year was his best since the pandemic, and this is a race he has consistently targeted.

He saddled the winner and runner-up in 2022 and 2023, the runner-up in 2024 and the third last year. He sends out Lady Blanche and Love A Giggle in an attempt to enhance that record.

Karl Burke poses at Newbury Racecourse on April 18, 2026

Karl Burke has two representatives in the Marygate, a race he won in 2022 and 2023Credit: Getty Images

Love A Giggle is a 16-1 chance despite costing a much heftier 130,000gns than her stablemate. She made a winning start at Southwell and is the mount of Clifford Lee.

An eye-catching entry is Angels Passing, the second-most expensive horse in the race at €130,000, who makes her debut for Kevin Ryan.

Upsets abound

In the past ten years, half of the winners have scored at double-figure odds, so bigger-priced runners should not be ignored.

North Yorkshire-based Tim Easterby runs Lake Muritz, a 5,000gns filly who won on her second start at Beverley last week.

The trainer said: “Her draw is grand and she’s expected to improve from her last run, so fingers crossed.”

Lauralynn, the outsider of the field, is trained by Declan Carroll. She made all on the all-weather when last seen after two solid efforts at Beverley.

He said: “She’s been quite consistent since she started and I think she’s got a good bit more to come, so we’ll see how she goes. Any rain that comes would help her.”

The tipster's view

By Harry Wilson, betting expert

The most impressive performances have come from Princesse D’Orange, who comfortably made all at Beverley last month, and Lady Blanche, who showed the benefit of her debut when winning from the front at Bath.

The time and form of Lady Blanche’s win doesn’t look the strongest, but Princesse D’Orange, who was well backed and recorded a decent time with plenty in hand, is a half-sister to the useful Diligently and one of the more promising contenders.

The standard is marginally set by Lover Girl, who took her record to 2-2 when winning a conditions race at Salisbury two weeks ago, beating a well-regarded sort who was well backed when winning on her debut. The time was good and she’s a leading player.

The speedily bred Niewiadoma won nicely at Thirsk last month and could go well for a trainer in Archie Watson who has made a bright start with his two-year-olds this season. The same applies to Diego Dias, who was operating at a 33 per cent strike-rate with his juveniles in Britain before saddling a 50-1 second at York on Thursday.

Dias saddles a live contender in Armor Supreme, who showed good speed and looked professional when making a winning debut at Goodwood two weeks ago.

The fourth that day, Harry Knows, had gone close on his debut in a Newbury maiden that has turned out to be useful form (the third and fourth filled the first two places in a Newmarket novice that was franked by the fifth at York on Thursday).

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