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IT IS fillies day at Newmarket this afternoon with the Group One Sun Chariot Stakes (3.15) the main event of the day, with eight of the fairer sex set to go to post over the straight mile.

At around even-money favourite, INSPIRAL is definitely the correct market leader here and with the drying ground hugely in her favour, she is sure to take the world of beating following on from successfully defending her title in the Jacques Le Marois at Deauville.

The other huge factor in her favour is that she arrives here a relatively fresh filly compared to her seven rivals. And the cream on the cake is that she of course won the Fillies’ Mile over this course and distance as a juvenile in October of 2021.

I have always thought that the Rowley Mile course requires a specialist to win over it such is the undulating nature of the course and in particular the ability to handle the run down to the bushes, into the pronounced dip and then the uphill run to the finishing post.

This is a fascinating renewal with the French filly and dual Group One winner, Mqse De Sevigne, a big player if she can get a nice tow into the race and at a much bigger price the Joseph O’Brien runner Goldana.

The last named has enough to find on the pure ratings, but if we get an end-to-end gallop, her pertinent turn of foot on fast ground could bring her into the contest late on at a double-figure price.

Although Red Danielle is open to significant improvement in the opening fillies handicap at 1.30 the weights and conditions point in the direction of LADY ALARA.

The Charlie Hills’ runner has been crying out for a step up to a mile-and-a-quarter, and the daughter of Invincible Spirit could remain well treated off her new mark of 95.

Of the other races at headquarters, I also fancy some solid runs from the likes of the Frankel filly DECORATION, should relish the extra furlong in the mile-and-a-half handicap at 2.40, and the lightly raced YOUNGEST in the seven furlong handicap at 5.00.

There have been valid excuses for her last three runs and now 8lbs lower in the weights she is too hard to ignore here at a double-figure price.

There is some competitive racing at Ascot this afternoon, none more so than in the 18-runner Heritage Handicap, a seven-furlong handicap due off at 3.35.

The amazing three-year-old Quinault is looking for an eighth handicap win this season, but a 5lbs penalty for winning a lesser race over this course and distance a month ago may just stop his fabulous sequence.

With a fast pace assured I am going to row in with the veteran performer BLESS HIM who has finally been given a realistic chance by the assessor now that he has been dropped down to a rating of 100.

The nine-year-old was very unlucky not to win his last contest at Newmarket last week and this bigger field and quicker pace should play to his strengths.

Of his other rivals, I couldn’t put you off the each-way claims of another old boy Escobar and the much younger Atrium. The last named is not a straightforward ride and can’t afford a similarly slow start to this contest as at Sandown Park last time out, when he was a well punted beaten favourite.

The upside is that he has been dropped to a handicap rating of 96, his last winning mark and will get a lovely tow through in this big field to take aim at the leaders in the closing furlong-and-a-half.

But the best bet on the card could come 35 minutes earlier in the Benbough Stakes over six furlongs. There is little doubt that several of these would prefer an extra furlong, but JUMBY could well relish the step back in trip on the drying ground.

All of his six career wins have come on good ground or quicker, and with several front-runners set to blast off early in this field, he should get the pillar-to-post gallop he needs in the climb to the winning line.

The closing five furlong speed test at 4.45 looks wide open as it should be with the prize money on offer and the nod goes to EXISTENT who is much better off at the weights with Call Me Ginger on previous course and distance form.

A rating of 90 is hard to ignore and even though he needs everything to go his way in the closing stages, he gets the nod over the likes of his previous conqueror and the second home that day, Mountain Peak.

Away from the two big meetings it could pay to have a second look at STRONGBOWE in the Mile Final at Redcar at 4.30 who was unlucky in the run behind one of his rivals here, Ron O, three outings back and now finds himself some 11lbs better off for that four-length beating when he had a far from clear run in the closing stages.

The other big bet of the day could be VENTURA EXPRESS in the 5.35 at the Cleveland track. A fast minimum trip is the optimum set-up for the selection and he is back down to his last winning mark of 79.