QE2 Challenge Grade I

QE2 Challenge
Grade I
A mile and one eighth
Firm  Turf
$500,000
Fillies and mares, 3 years old

1 46797 EAST JAVA  devbarn  P Greggor  11/1 
2 36876 THIEF AT HEART  bigdog  M Margolf  6/1 
3 95038 IRON SHOES  erasmus  Y Kester  8/1 
4 94952 COLD STORAGE  springtime  D Givins  7/2 
5 91288 DEW BOMB  manager  B Sipe  15/1 
6 95385 BUCK WILD  lenny11  L Goodburn  13/1 
7 94132 MONGOOSE JEDI  photo41st  J Yount  12/1 
8 90553 ABIGAIL  kobras4  B Drewrey  9/1 
9 45527 KING SNAKE  kingfish  P Cadigan  4/1 
10 53749 SLEEPING BEAUTY  moreready  D Sherman  16/1 
11 52816 BONERSAUR  ksparrow11  K Bortz  12/1 
12 95788 BONNIE BLUE BUDA  godmother  S Garber  13/1

A good field of 12 for todays top ladies race the QE2 over 9f on the turf course. However only five in with a realistic chance. EAST JAVA has struggled in stakes and looks an allowance horse, DEW BOMB has the same profile and looks outclassed, BUCK WILD is another allowance runner and wants further, MONGOOSE JEDI has won a stakes and ran well in a grade I but wants a good bit further, SLEEPING BEAUTY , BONERSAUR and BONNIE BLUE BUDA look like stakes runners but are not ready for this.
That leaves five horses who can win today, headed by:-

COLD STORAGE who has won a grade I over todays distance recently and ran well over a too short 8f latest. This is clearly her distance and as she knows what it takes to win a grade I she is a worthy favourite. Nailed on top three finish and will be hard to beat for first.

KING SNAKE has run some really good graded races recently but is crying out for further, even up to 12f being by Sadlers Wells out of a Kingmambo mare. She will find this too short and may make the top three at best.

THIEF AT HEART has one recent stakes run and she looked to be crying out for further than the 10f there. I cannot see the drop to 9f being ideal. Will make the top five and may be in the lead entering the last quarter but won’t hold on.

IRON SHOES is interesting as she has won well over 8fin a stakes and has run at graded level. She should get this distance and may have just needed her first try at it latest. Can run well and may even pinch third.

ABIGAIL is the one to cause a bit of a surprise. She won going away over 8f latest and the distance looks ideal today. She is out of Strike The Gold by a Woodman mare and is a good mix of middle distance and speed. Expect a big run for second.

PREDICTION

1/ COLD STORAGE  2/ ABIGAIL  3/ IRON SHOES