Best Terms Out For Cheveley Park Glory

Richard Hannon remains in poll position to retain his champion trainer’s title and a victory for his unbeaten filly Best Terms in Saturday’s Group 1 Jaguar Cars Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket would do his cause no end of good, writes Elliot Slater.

In what looks no more than an average renewal of the six-furlong juvenile fillies’ event Best Terms appears to have the best credentials on offer, so if she remains in the kind of form that saw her prove too good for the opposition at York last month in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes then she is sure to take all the beating in the top grade contest on the Rowley Mile course. Those looking for Betfair horse tips can’t rule her out.

Punters at York had rather dismissed the chance of the daughter of Exceed And Excel maintaining an unbeaten record that had seen her win her first three outings at Windsor, Newbury, and in a stirring renewal of the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot when she got the better of the smart Shumoos by a short-head. Sent off at a surprisingly generous 11/1 in the horse racing betting, having been off the track with an overreach following her big win at the royal fixture, Richard Hughes’ mount gave weight and a beating to her 10 rivals, bouncing out of the stalls and making every yard of the running to score comfortably by two-lengths from David Wachman’s subsequent Group 1 Moyglare Stud stakes runner-up Fire Lily.

Being somewhat on the small side it is debatable whether or not Best Terms will train on next season to be up to Group 1 class, but there is no doubting that she is a very talented juvenile whose heart is definitely in the right place. If she shows up at Newmarket in the same form as York it will be a big surprise if she doesn’t add to Hannon’s haul for the season and help him a step closer to retaining his title.