Terebellum won in the style of a top notch prospect on debut, so looks a worthy 4/5 favourite with Boylesports to take the step up into Listed company in her stride and land the spoils in the feature race at Newbury on Thursday, the 1m 2f Abingdon Stakes for fillies (15:00).
This three-year-old hails from the yard of John Gosden who has won the race four times, including three of the last seven renewals.
She was well-touted ahead of her first run at Goodwood three weeks ago and could not have been more impressive when scoring in runaway style.
After racing close-up and wide, jockey Frankie Dettori eased the beautifully bred daughter of Sea The Stars to the front at the two furlong marker.
When he then gave her a shake of the reins, Terebellum showed an electric turn of foot to shoot clear and cruise home by 4 1/2 lengths from Maamora.
The front two pulled a further 4 1/2 lengths clear of the field, and the runner-up has since come out and bolted up by six lengths at Ripon – so that gives the form a solid look.
It was a performance which oozed class and suggested Terebellum was a well-above average sort who needed keeping firmly onside.
This race looks a nice stepping stone to bigger and better things; so, providing she handles the forecast soft ground, Terbellum is going to be very tough to beat given that she is the least exposed runner in the contest and has bags of untapped potential.
Star Terms tops the ratings
Star Terms is officially the highest rated in the six-runner line-up and has some smart form in the book, so looks the obvious one to take advantage should Terebellum fail to live up to expectations.
This Richard Hannon trained filly, who is a best-price 9/2 with Coral, is also a daughter of Derby winner Sea The Stars and progressed in each outing as a juvenile last season when winning twice.
She also ran very well when a 1 1/2 lengths runner-up to Fleeting in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes and Doncaster and went on to round off the campaign with a cracking head third in the Group 1 at Longchamp in France.
Star Terms has had three runs this season and, after finishing a close-up fourth on return to action in a Group 3 at this venue, was far from disgraced when an 8 3/4 lengths 11th of 15 to Hermosa in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.
There was also lots to like about her latest effort in a Listed contest over course and distance where she only weakened late on when finishing a 2 1/2 lengths fourth of eight to Queen Power.
The form of those races set a clear standard, and Star Terms also has the services of Ryan Moore in the saddle who has a decent strike rate when teaming up with the yard.
A bold bid looks assured, but Star Terms is pretty exposed and doesn’t have the same scope for further improvement as that of Terebellum.
Class-dropping Antonia De Vega another with claims
Given that she now drops in grade, Antonia De Vega is another that cannot be ruled out and can be backed at 3/1 with Bethard to make a winning return to action.
This daughter of Lope De Vega hails from the yard of Ralph Beckett, who does particularly well with fillies, and looked a smart prospect when winning her first two starts as a juvenile.
In the first of those successes over 7f on the July course at Newmarket, Antonia De Vega landed an 11-runner contest in decisive fashion.
After being held-up in mid-division by Harry Bentley, she was asked to make a move two from home and picked up nicely before staying on to take up the running inside the final 100 yards.
She won going away from Zagitova by 1 1/4 lengths who subsequently went on to finish third in a Group 2 and fourth in a Group 1.
Antonia De Vega was then pitched into Group 3 company and, despite being ill at ease on the track, landed the Prestige Stakes in taking fashion.
She looked to be going nowhere when getting outpaced twop from home, but once Bentley got her balanced, Antonia De Vega ran through between horses to beat Accordance going away by 1 1/4 lengths.
It’s fair to say that she was then a bitter disappointment when last of eight to Iridessa in the
Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket when beaten 23 lengths, but something was clearly amiss that day and thss represents a return to much calmer waters – so it would be folly to underestimate her chances.
Hard to make a case for remaining trio
The Roger Varian trained Lastochka, 16/1 with William Hill, finished 4 1/2 lengths behind Star Terms in a Listed race here last time out and there is no real reason why she should gain revenge on that rival.
Manaal has been in good form this season, winning once and finishing runner-up last time out at Windsor, but both those runs came in handicap company and she faces a huge task now stepped up in grade and is priced accordingly at 22/1 with BetVictor.
The field is completed by the Mick Channon trained Patchouli who is rated just 75 – a massive 27lb blow that of the standard setter Star Terms.
She faces an impossible task as her odds of 100/1 with Paddy Power suggest and connections are clearly flying far too high with her.
