The Upavon Fillies’ Stakes (3.50) at Salisbury on Wednesday looks competitive enough on paper but, after two creditable efforts in defeat in Pattern company, Hertford Dancer can take advantage of a drop in class. Far from disgraced in the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock and the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot on her two most recent starts, the Foxwedge filly had previous won with something in hand in this grade at Lingfield. The winning jockey that day, Frankie Dettori, returns to the saddle and, back on good ground, the partnership must take a good deal of beating.
John Gosden’s charge has nothing to fear from the other three-year-old fillies in the field, if official ratings are to be believed, and a 7lb weight-for-allowance hands her a significant advantage over her elders, too. Frankie Dettori has a 22-83 (27%) strike rate overall for the yard this season, rising to 20-62 (32%) on three-year-olds, so the statistics provide further cause for optimism, if any were needed.
Selection: 3.50 Salisbury Hertford Dancer to win