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Cherry Blossom Looks to Rebound in Cheveley Park

The Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) is about speed and you can see that by looking at the recent winners. All three who were successful this decade showed their best form at no further than seven furlongs and, while Alcohol Free  did win group 1s at a mile, she was fast enough to win the July Cup (G1).

You have to go back to Sayyedati in 1992 to find the last filly who had scored over seven furlongs to land this race and that trend is set to continue as none of the 11 runners has won over that far. Speed will once again be the key and Relief Rally  would have been suited by this test had she not been declared a non-runner on Sept. 29.

Aidan O’Brien has saddled four winners, and a further three to be placed, from just 11 runners in the last 10 years and Cherry Blossom  looks like his first string, ahead of Pearls and Rubies . Cherry Blossom finished a length behind Relief Rally in the Lowther Stakes (G2) at York.

She was thrashed six lengths by the newcomer One Look at the Curragh last week, but that was over seven furlongs and maybe the return to quicker ground and drop in trip will help.

“Cherry Blossom seems to be in good form and has come out of the race at the Curragh last weekend in good form,” O’Brien said. “We’re happy to run her again. Pearls and Rubies seems to be in good form, too, and has plenty of experience.”

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It’s been 10 years since the Philippe Sogorb-trained Vorda  was the last French winner of the race. Carlos and Yann Lerner are responsible for Jasna’s Secret, the mount of Christophe Soumillon. She is unbeaten in two starts, both on ground with soft in the description at Deauville, and her latest victory came in a valuable sales race.

“She’s very well and has prepared well for this race,” commented Lerner. “Christophe (Soumillon) knows the filly by heart and he also has huge experience of Newmarket, so those are big advantages. We’re very pleased he has decided to ride her rather than stay at Longchamp.”

Fast conditions are an unknown, but her sire Galiway ‘s progeny have a 14% strike-rate on ground softer than good, improving to 21% on good or quicker. That suggests Jasna’s Secret might be even better now she tackles a fast surface.

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