Leicester Preview: Milly’s Secret poised to exploit drop in class

Milly’s Secret can take advantage of a significant drop in class to land the 7f selling stakes at Leicester today (3.30).

The Anne Duffield trained filly has won two of her 13 starts and ended 2013 in style when staying on strongly to land a 6f handicap at Hamilton by a head.

The daughter of Sakhee’s Secret has also posted some solid efforts this season, most notably on her penultimate start when keeping on to finish a 3 3/4 lengths fifth of 12 to Poyle Vinnie over 6f at Pontefract in a class 5 affair.

The form of that run looks really strong in the context of this lower grade selling contest, and although Milly’s Secret has yet to win in two attempts over 7f she has shaped on more than one occasion as if it should suit.

Off an official rating of 72 Milly’s Secret is joint top-rated in the contest and the best treated at the weights, and the three-year-old will not get a better opportunity than this to get back to winning ways.
In the 5f feature contest (4.00), Top Boy looks decent each-way value in a wide open affair.

The Derek Shaw trained gelding was in good form back in the spring, finishing in the frame four times before gaining a deserved success in a competitive 18-runner class 2 contest over 5f at York off a mark of 87.

The four-year-old came from well off the pace and overcame trouble in running to beat Body And Soul by a neck and was value for more than the winning margin.

Top Boy now gets into this lower grade class 3 contest off just 2lb higher, and although well beaten last time out at Chester a line can safely be put through that run as he lost all chnace when blowing the start.

The son of Exceed And Excel had previously shaped as if still in form when 11th of 18 to Discussiontofollow at Ascot where he shaped far better than the finishing position suggests having raced down the unfavoured middle of the track, and now meets the runner-up Milly’s Gift on 8lb better terms.

That suggests there shouldn’t be much between them, yet Top Boy can be backed at a much bigger price than that rival.

Elsewhere on the card, Newmarket trainer Charlie Appleby looks to have major claims of landing a double with the Godolphin owned pair of Viceroyalty (2.30) and Charming Thought (3.00).

Selections:
2.00: Scarlet Bounty
2.30: Viceroyalty
3.00: Charming Thought
3.30: Milly’s Secret (NAP)
4.00: Top Boy (NB)
4.30: World Record
5.00: Comanchero
5.30: Rose Buck