Lahinch Classics winning at Dundalk last month under Wayne Lordan© Photo Healy Racing
David Wachman expects to find out if he has a Classic contender on his hands after Lahinch Classics runs in the Swettenham Stud Fillies' Trial at Newbury on Friday.
The Galileo filly made her debut in a red-hot Leopardstown maiden last year and finished a respectable third.
It was won by John Oxx's My Titania, one of the leading fancies for the Irish 1,000 Guineas and second was Dermot Weld's Afternoon Sunlight, who won the Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial last Sunday.
Lahinch Classics opened her account at the second time of asking when stepped up markedly in trip at Dundalk in April. She holds all the major entries so is obviously well thought of, and Wachman was keen to find the nicest ground he could for her key trial.
"When you have a nice middle-distance filly you have three choices at this time of year and she was in all three. I thought the ground at Naas was too soft for the Blue Wind Stakes on Wednesday and she was also in the Musidora at York, but the same sentiments applied. The ground was drying quicker at Newbury so that is where we've ended up," said Wachman.
"She ran fine at Dundalk and did it nicely, but this is a step up. She likes good ground and this will tell us an awful lot more, as it will for everyone."
Another impressive maiden winner in the field is Peter Chapple-Hyam's Inchila, who made her debut behind Ed Dunlop's smart Amazing Maria at Goodwood but was a beaten favourite on her next outing.
Reappearing at Newbury in April over the same course and distance she faces again, she was an ultra-impressive winner under Jamie Spencer and the third home that day, John Gosden's Criteria, was only just touched off in the Oaks Trial at Lingfield on Saturday.
"She's a nice filly. The drying of the ground will certainly help her. It looks a good renewal, it's usually a good race, and we will certainly know what we have on our hands after it. I think she'll run well," said Chapple-Hyam.
The only unbeaten filly in the race is Roger Varian's Hadaatha, who won on her debut at the Craven meeting. A Sea The Stars filly, the step up in trip to 10 furlongs from seven should prove no barrier given her half-brother won over two miles, and she also holds entries in the Oaks, the Coronation Stakes and the Ribblesdale.
"Hadaatha won nicely at Newmarket and I have been pleased with her since. The step up in trip should suit and I think she is up to running well at this level," the trainer told www.varianstable.co.uk.
Gosden runs Likelihood, a winner at Chepstow at the third time of asking, Luca Cumani is represented by Volume, third on her reappearance at Newmarket, while James Tate runs Lamar, who was only beaten just over six lengths in the 1000 Guineas. The highest-rated filly in the race is Charlie Appleby's Sound Reflection, third to Taghrooda in the Pretty Polly.
