British Champion Fillies' & Mares Guide 2021

Having needed her first two runs as a juvenile, she got off the mark at The Curragh at the third time of asking in a Fillies' Maiden.

However, since then she has raced four times between seven furlongs and a mile in decent graded events and has struggled being outclassed.

Stepping up in trip on debut this term brought bring improvement out of her, when winning the Group Three Musidora Stakes at York over 10.5f.

Many thought off the back of that she should have been closer in the market to her stablemate Santa Barbara, and they were right.

Snowfall went on to take the event with ease, winning by a record 16 lengths for Aidan O'Brien and jockey Frankie Dettori and that saw the handler land the event for the ninth time.

Off the back of that she made it three wins from three for the season when landing the Oaks double at the Curragh, again going on to score by a wide margin.

She made it an Oaks treble next time out when comfortably taking the Yorkshire Oaks at the Ebor meeting and was then sent to France for a trial ahead of the Arc.

Odds on to make it five wins in a row and stay unbeaten for the season, she was shockingly beaten by Teona in the Group One Prix Vermeille.

Her season had been primed for a run in the Arc, but like her previous run she was flat and could only finish a tame sixth.

However, even running to that standard in this event should see her land the event.

The one to beat.

The daughter of Muhaarar has has some decent runs to her name over the last few years with a head loss over 14f in a Listed event at Ascot before subsequently landing the Listed Buckhounds Stakes at the same track next time out when dropped back to 12f on her seasonal re-appearance.

She was then sent to Epsom for the Group One Coronation Cup but was well-beaten into fourth and off the back of that went to Royal Ascot when putting up a fair effort into fifth.

The form of that race has obviously worked out, but not for her as much when next time out she was a 11 length third behind Wonderful Tonight in the Lillie Langtry Stakes.

However, she gave a career best performance last time out in the Yorkshire Oaks when a four lengths second to Snowfall and having not been seen since then she should be fresh.

Would love any rain.

A horse that has really come on leaps and bounds this season is the Andrew Balding trained Invite, who is a beautifully bred daughter of The Gurkha, that will enjoy soft ground.

The filly was seen once as a juvenile over seven furlongs at Lingfield where she made a great start to her career being a convincing winner.

This term she has been seen five times, finishing second on seasonal debut to a nice type for John & Thady Gosden when stepped up to 1m2f.

Off the back of that she was a good runner up again behind Save A Forest on her first turf start and backed that up at Doncaster on soft ground next time out when landing a Fillies' Handicap by 10 lengths.

Sent over to Italy for the Premio Oaks d'Italia, the good ground scuppered her chances when back in fifth.

However, she bounced back to form in a big way last time out when stepped up to 1m4f and winning a nice Listed event at Chester.

Juice in the ground is key to her success, but she will need to put in a career best effort to beat the market leader.

One of the most inexperienced runners in the field but arguably posing some serious potential is the Roger Varian trained Eshaada.

The three year old filly made her debut as a juvenile in November last year, getting off the mark in taking style on soft ground at Nottingham over 8.5f.

Saved for this season the daughter of Muhaarar stepped up to 10f in a Listed Fillies' Stakes at Newbury and made it back to back wins in gritty style.

Doing her best work late on she was stepped up to 1m4f next time out and was a narrow second to rival Loving Dream in the Group Two Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot.

Staying on an upward curve she took on her first Group One event in the Yorkshire Oaks and gave the worst performance of her career when last of seven, never running any race.

She will need to be much better than that, but it could be a blip performance and she is not worth giving up on.

Ninth in the Ebor at York in August, Tribal Craft has been a strong servant for connections and took a Group Three prize over 1m6f at York last May.

Mixing it between handicaps and Listed races for most of her career, she really found her feet this campaign and has posted some career bests.

Easily beating Urban Artist at York earlier in the season and being second to Wonderful Tonight at Goodwood were both strong pieces of form.

However, last time out she could only finish fifth of eight in the Group Two Park Hill Fillies' Stakes at Doncaster on quick ground.

Her best form has come on rain softened ground however so it would be likely that she would need rain to get really competitive, but she needs more.

The daughter of Kodiac was a 280,000gns purchase and although running to a fair standard is now without a win in five races and doesn't look to be a Group One horse.

Making her debut last term in September at Salisbury and getting off the mark she then backed that up at Haydock over a mile when making it back to back to wins.

She was seen once more Prix des Reservois on her final start in juveniles and the soft ground found her out, only beating two home.

Seen four times this term, she was stepped up to 10f on seasonal debut and was behind Mystery Angel back in fourth and then at Goodwood over the same trip was second in a Listed event.

Stepped up to 1m4f for the first time she gave the performance of her career to finish second to the smart Alpinista in the Group Two Lancashire Oaks.

However, she let herself down last time out when only fifth of seven in a Listed event at Salisbury and she needs to be better than that to go close here.

Mystery Angel was a Listed winner over 10f at Newmarket in May and subsequently ran a big race two starts later at Epsom to finish best of the rest in Group One company, albeit 16 lengths behind high class performer Snowfall.

Following that run however, albeit whilst respectable runnings, she has since been below that form, finishing fourth in the Group Two Lancashire Oaks (12f), third in the Group Three Prix De Pysche (10f) before finishing last of six at Deauville in the Prix de Pomone.

Last time out the George Boughey owned trained filly finished a middle of the road fourth in the Group Three Princess Royal Stakes and that form isn't good enough in this event.

The daughter of Frankel finished fourth on her step up to Listed company at Chester (11.5f) on her second start this season before subsequently finishing a well-beaten 11th in the Epsom Oaks behind stablemate and re-opposing rival, Snowfall.

Her workmanlike maiden win next time out at Roscommon was a good effort, however it's looking very likely that her sole purpose in this race is to set a good gallop to tee up her stablemate Snowfall for the win.

She was next seen only beating two home in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh and then went to York and finished along way back in third behind Snowfall in the Group One Yorkshire Oaks.

La Joconde then went to Longchamp and finished a fair third behind Teona and Snowfall again in the Prix Vermeille, but last time out ran massively below par when 10th of 15 in a Group Three at Newmarket just a week ago.

Looks opposable on that evidence.