Doncaster preview: Sceptre Stakes (14.30)

Trainer Barry Hills has saddled more winners of the Sceptre Stakes than anyone else, and Fadhayyil can provide him with another success in this years’ renewal of the Group 3 contest at Doncaster (14.30).

Hills has won the race five times courtesy of Asteroid Field (1986), My Branch (1996), Mamounia (2002), Tantina (2003), and Royal Confidence (2008). In Fadhayyil, he has a high class filly who comes into the contest at the top of her game.

The daughter of Tamayuz ran a stormer on her seasonal reappearance when fifth of 13 to Legatissimo in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, and backed that up with a cracking 1/2 length second to Dutch Connection in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Fadhayyil then disappointed when well-beaten in a Group 3 contest at Goodwood, but was unsuited by the undulating track and showed that running to be all wrong when getting back to winning ways in a Listed race at York last month.

The three-year-old raced powerfully throughout and found plenty when challenged to beat Speculative Bid with a shade more in hand than the 1/2 length winning margin suggests.

It was an excellent performance against the boys, and a repeat is going to make Fadhayyil very hard to beat now back against her own sex.

Kiyoshi won the race 12 months ago and may well give Fadhayyil most to think about. The Charlie Hills trained filly is not the easiest to win with but has potent turn of foot when on-song.

She shaped well on her penultimate outing when a one length third in a Group 3 contest at York, but tyoically failed to build on that when finding little and finishing fifth in a similar grade affair at Goodwood.