Towcester hosts a brilliant Bet365 Empress Stakes Final today, live on SIS, with a host of chances in the £10,000-to-the-winner decider - but might Avongate Venus (4.26) get away from her field and grab gold in the Category One showpiece?
Phil Milner's bitch needs to be paw-perfect from lid-rise but her semi-final performance, in which she equalled Barntick Bear's track record for the 500m English Derby trip with a flying 28.52sec, is so difficult to get away from and a repeat of that outstanding effort seven days ago can secure the prize.
The conundrum for punters is the trap six draw - wider than usual. However, with a railer inside in the form of Fabulous Terra (Patrick Janssens), the way really should be clear for Avongate Venus to dominate the early proceedings and stretch them out, and there is no question she is staying a lot stronger. Just look at last week's clock!
New Destiny (Mark Wallis) is the biggest danger as the kennel looks for back-to-back wins in the event after Crafty Shivoo's success 12 months ago and, showing real speed as well as a huge stamina over this 500m, the Coral Coronation Cup winner is definitely good enough if close enough. But can she get clear of Droopys Eunice (Maxine Locke)?
The Romford raider is building up a real head of steam post-season and her semi-final win was superb - as we predicted - and she didn't even break well! A fast start puts her in the picture, while rule out fast-finishing Urlee Star (David Elcock) at your peril if it becomes a crowded race. Icemans Girl (Nathan Hunt) is also no back-number for another very much in-form kennel
The supporting opens throw up one or two interesting races with Laurence Tuffin's up-in-class but improving youngster Fabulous Estelle (2.52) catching the eye in her division of the maiden 500m. She won her D2 debut in really nice style and posted a good enough clock (16.07sec) to suggest with further puppy gains she takes some holding.
Later on, Maxine Locke's top sprinter Tullymurry Dylan (4.07) could send the kennel into the Bet365 Empress Stakes Final on a high with victory in the two-bend contest. His flying times at Romford augur well for this first visit to Towcester and he might have too much speed for his rivals today.
Patrick Janssens' well-drawn Bockos Sapphire (5.21) also catches the eye in the top division of the four-bend maiden races. The red-jacketed runner ran in a better race last week on debut and is best judged on trials, including some fast Towcester sprint lines which hint at a lead inside over this 500m distance.
