Zurigha has the class to defy top weight in Day 2 Finale

The closing race on Wednesday is the Sandringham Handicap for fillies over a mile. The top weight is Richard Hannon’s Zurigha who comes here after finishing an excellent fourth in the French Guineas.

The daughter of Cape Cross went into that race as a 25-1 shot but finished as well as anything in a muddling sort of race. Richard Hughes managed to extricate her from an unpromising position on the rails to deliver her challenge and it was a fine effort.

Her only wins have come on the all-weather at Kempton but she was good enough to get within five lengths of Just The Judge at Newmarket last October and has a touch of class. Ralph Beckett’s Waterway Run was not far behind her in sixth at Longchamp and should also appreciate the drop in grade.

Richard Hannon has another fancied runner in Fleeting Smile. She won comfortably at Salisbury last month to earn her chance here and will be ridden by Paul Hanagan. She had previously chased home Annecdote at Newmarket and it should be close between the pair.

The early favourite is John Gosden’s Woodland Aria who tried her hand in Group company when third in the Musidora Stakes at York. The first and second have both been beaten since but she came out and won handily at Leicester and should be in contention here.

John Gosden also saddles the improving Stresa, a fluent winner at Haydock, and the outsider Trapeze. Sir Michael Stoute has several leading hopes in handicaps this week and he is represented by Mango Diva. The filly chased home the impressive Montiridge after winning her maiden at Kempton.

Typhoon Lily was fourth to Masarah here at the start of May whilst Ed Dunlop’s Auction has won her last three starts including a very impressive victory at Newmarket. The best of the Irish challengers could be Dermot Weld’s lightly-raced Bracing Breeze.

The daughter of Dansili was second at Cork last time out over six furlongs but could show improvement over the mile. David Wachman runs Hint Of A Tint who was beaten only a neck when second in the Irish Guineas Trial in May and has been supported in the early betting exchanges.