| Queen Elizabeth Classic Final 4-7YO Fillies  2400m Turf 29th March 2011Last Season's Final
This Season's Contenders
 Legend Of The Sea is more effective over an 1800m or 2200m trip. Her wins are starting to add up so look beyond this race and a switch back to 2200m that will suit her far better. She will struggle to go the extra 200m on level terms and with a concession of weight to a good few others, her chance in this race is closer to zero than hero.
 Xtreme Diva looks capable of handling a soft surface but whether it is her optimum level is a lot to be disired. Nevertheless, she is a contender in almost every race she runs and is already a dual challenge champion and she runs in two finals this term also. She is likely to favour her chance in the stayers race rather than this but ultimately she remains a threat. She may find one or two in the race that will relish the going, each way chances for sure.
 Heart Of Greed was a very expensive filly at auction during her juvenile season but has found her way to the Sky Castle yard for a fifth of that price. Her level of consistency is a joy to behold in challenge finals and although she has never scored a victory, her runs have been rewarded with a third in The Oaks and a second place in this race last season. It could be argued that her ability over 2400m is not quite as good as 2200m but she is no means a no hoper over the trip. She has never won at the distance and it is hard to see her breaking her duck here.
 Passion Flower is another filly who has found it tough to score a victory over this trip. In fourteen attempts, she has ran close on many occasions, only to find one or two too good on the day. Although she has had many outings on soft ground, it is not her optimum surface and put all the factors together and it provides a definitive guide to suggest that she will not be winning here. She was a cheap buy at auction and is surely going to repay the investment ten fold.
It is unsual to see a horse that has competed in a Ladbrokes Monthly over the minimum trip, contest a final nearly two and half times the distance. We will not focus too much on her chances in this race. She doesn't stay, she has too much weight and the fact that her trainer has recently scored a Monday Madness WFA race win with her is a tip in itself. No chance in a race dominated by horses that do get the trip.
In her two finals to date, she hasn't had the best of luck in running. Her sixth place in The Oaks was an eye catcher but that was over a trip far better suited. She is another who falls into the category of not seeing out the extended classic distance and can also be overlooked. She is one that likes the going but that is no consolation if she doesn't stay.
Natalia From Mosc looks very tasty in this field carrying the minimum weight allowance. She would be an instant selection but were it for the fact that she has had limited experience on a soft track. She will certainly get the trip and what experience she has had on soft will need to be put to good use here. She cannot be omitted from having a squeak each way in the race but I would have looked to be more positive about her chance if the ground had come a little less mucky. I still believe she is a talent and she may even go close but her bigger effort might be saved for the Cesarewitch.
Surrounde lines up to defend her crown in this, a race she won well last term and she will not be forced into submission in this without a fight. It is certain that she will have no concern with the trip and given that she is a very effective muddy runner and has shown more than glimpes of her ability to handle a soft going, she must be a championship contender again. If she can transfer her form to the switch in conditions it may be a case of back-to-back success in the race. A few are coming to this festival looking to defend a title and of them all I would go as far to say that she is the strongest contender.
This is a first end of season challenge final appearance for Lucifers Mistress. She comes into the race with only one noteable line of form on a soft going, which makes it very awkward to assess her ability to handle the going. She did finish second behind Heart Of Greed over the shorter trip on that occasion and although that form may look good, on paper at least, it doen't really give many indicators and she may be best watched in this. Her five wins have kept the weight off and that must be a plus factor.
Arguably one of the most unluckiest horses in the race in terms of being let down by the Gods that dictate the going. There is no doubting her quality and ability to handle a stiff test over 2400m. The doubt comes when you consider that soft going is not going to help her cause in this race one single bit. I really would like to see her prove me wrong but the random has already put her in a position of noticeable disadvantage. I firmly believe that there is a challenge championship in her but it is not likely to come in this race. Maybe her crowning glory will come in the Cesarewitch.
Classic champion as a juvenile on a muddy surface will bode well when she goes to post. She has probably got the best line of soft going form of any in the race and a little transfer of ability from the dirt kickback will go a long way in proving that here. She only competed in four races to get to this final which is a measure of her consistency. The more I look at her, the more I get the feeling that she was brought to this race for a soft going and I think she could have exactly what is required to win the race. A major player.
We are looking at a bit of an all rounder here. Majestic Fantasy has proven her worth on most goings and has some winning form to boot. She did get the better of stable mate, Queen Of Satan, in a similar event on soft going but the way the race ran you would have to think that on the face of it, Queen Of Satan would have the upper hand. She will stay and is also likely to handle the going. With all that in mind, she has a definite chance in the race.
A champion juvenile, again coming out of the champions yard. She won her title over the marathon 3200m trip on a fast going. You may think that she would be partial to a sounder surface but snippets of form have suggested that she might act well enough to feature in this race. It's not a confident statement and she may have been appearing here with a different game plan in mind but you can never under estimate this type of runner. Low weight to carry is a bonus but her draw is a little unconvincing.
She is the second dual challenge champion in this field, one of which was The Oaks. A muddy track greeted her on that day but it was a fine victory over this trip. She has done most of her better running on a dirt track but one effort over 2400m on a soft going stands out like Peter Crouch cuddling a dwarf. October 12th 2010, was the date and a fine race in second place behind The Path Of Death. A couple of these rivals were behind her and she ran well without the aid of a top jockey allocation. She rates something of a lively outsider for me and Doug will have her best interests in preparing her for this. She could do well. |
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