Will this year's Duchess of Cambridge Stakes act as yet another springboard to Group 1 success?

This race has a history of producing top-class performers, with five of the last ten winners going on to strike at Group 1 level.

The Albany provides the best guide, with seven of the last ten winners of this race finishing 4211571 in that Royal Ascot contest, and therefore Heavens Gate is the filly to focus on.

She made most of the running in that Group 3 and had a break on the field at the furlong marker before being overtaken by her Aidan O'Brien-trained stablemate Fairy Godmother and Simmering late on.

Two of O'Brien's three winners of this race contested the Albany, in which they finished second and seventh, so Heavens Gate looks well on a par with that pair. She is one of three in this with entries at the highest level (Phoenix, Moyglare) and looks the most likely to be up to tackling those sort of engagements.

Dual Rowley Mile winner Mountain Breeze ran creditably to finish fourth in the Albany without providing any obvious reason why she could reverse the form here, while this must be one of the few Group races at this course her trainer Charlie Appleby has yet to win.

Gavin Cromwell's British runners always deserve respect (23-83 for a strike-rate of 28 per cent) and he runs Mighty Eriu and Fiery Lucy. The former and Maw Lam endured their fair share of hard luck on opposing sides behind Leovanni in the Queen Mary. Both shaped as if this extra furlong could bring out further improvement.

Of the three who ran in the Empress Stakes over this course and distance last time, Arabian Dusk (third) is preferred ahead of Tales Of The Heart (second) and Teej A (ninth).

Arabian Dusk may still be a maiden, but she was sent off favourite for that Listed contest after an encouraging debut second and had to make up plenty of ground from the rear.
Race analysis by Maddy Playle

Nicholls out to upset O'Brien and Appleby

Trainer Adrian Nicholls would not swap Maw Lam for any other contender in the £100,000 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes in which she bids to secure a Group 2 success after a promising start to her career.

The daughter of Acclamation made a winning debut at Thirsk in May and was unlucky not to follow up when second at Beverley a month later. However, she showed her true ability when outrunning her 50-1 odds when third behind Leovanni in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

Adrian Nicholls: trainer of Maw LamCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Aidan O'Brien's Heavens Gate and the Godolphin-owned Mountain Breeze, who finished third and fourth respectively in the Albany Stakes, fill the first two positions in the betting, but Nicholls believes his filly has a huge opportunity.

All three of her runs have come on quick ground, so drying conditions would certainly be an advantage to Maw Lam, and Nicholls said: "She's in good form and hopefully it dries out. A lot of them are going into the race with Royal Ascot form, but the step up in trip will suit and hopefully the drying ground will be in her favour.

"I'm pleased with her. She ran a good race at Ascot and has come out of the race well."

​What they say

Ed Crisford, joint-trainer of Arabian Dusk
She'll take a big step forward as she’s been very green in her first two runs. She hasn’t won yet, but I think she’ll be a lot sharper now. She ran a pretty good race in the Empress, when she was probably just a little bit far back. A lot of that was due to greenness and if she's a lot sharper this time she has a chance of being in the mix.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Heavens Gate
We were very happy with the way she ran in the Albany and she came out of Ascot in good shape.

Karl Burke, trainer of Liberalised and Teej A
Liberalised messed around in the stalls at Ascot, but she passed her stalls test with no problems. She'll like the bit of cut in the ground and we'll find out how good she is. We think Teej A ran poorly last time because she didn't enjoy the firm ground. She's in good shape.

Karl Burke: runs Liberalised and Teej ACredit: Edward Whitaker

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Mountain Breeze
We have been very pleased with how Mountain Breeze has come out of Royal Ascot, and she looks to have done well physically since. Based on that, and looking at the shape of the race, we feel she should be very competitive.
Reporting by Liam Headd

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