Selection: Snow Lantern will cement her class on Friday

Frankel filly will turn the tables on her Royal Ascot run and show her class in the Falmouth

As soon as I watched Snow Lantern at Newbury, when she trounced a decent field with ease, I backed her for the 1000 Guineas. It was a shame for them to take the easier option and go to York for a listed race, which unfortunately ended in tears for connections. Nevertheless it's up to connections to pick where they go with their horse and they wanted black type for their star asset. Despite looking like she would pick that race up with the same ease as her Newbury run, things didn't go to plan. Too keen and never settling, her trainer Richard Hannon said that she never relaxed and breath properly to help her through the race.

I was happy to ignore that run given how good her first run was. It was poetry in motion as Sean Levey simply sat and press the button like he was riding her on a game console. The maiden at Newbury was strong with the 2 behind going onto win maidens easily and then running at Royal Ascot and the Prix Du Jockey in France respectively. One of those was Derab who was highly rated by his trainer enough to send him to France, where he encountered ground he probably hated, whilst the 3rd Fantastic Fox went off 11/2f in a Royal Ascot handicap. He disappointed however he won't be the first horse to disappoint at that meeting.

Talking of Royal Ascot, that is when we seen Snow Lantern last. Starting at 14/1, she was again keen but got good cover by her talented jockey Levey, and ran on well for 2nd. I'd originally backed her that day but cashed out after the deluge of rain that will probably go down in history for long time at Ascot that day. Conservatively ridden due to her keenness and the fact that connections didn't think the ground would suit her, she is likely to be ridden in the same way at Newmarket on Friday. However with the ground not likely to be as soft as Ascot, I expect her to deliver and show her class in the Falmouth Stakes on Friday.

Although she faces her nemesis in Alcohol Free from Royal Ascot, as well as the winner of the listed race at York in Primo Bacio, I think she'll turn that around as long as she gets the right cover and the ground isn't too soft. With the 7lb allowance from the older horses, it looks like the 3 year olds will dominate this race and I expect Snow Lantern to improve for ground, the July track and her Ascot run to deliver a Group 1 for her connections.

Falmouth Stakes - Newmarket 09/07/2021

Selection: Snow Lantern - 1.5 pts win @ 4/1 (Skybet, Betvictor)