Exciting fillies primed for top-class showdown at Newmarket

A mouthwatering renewal of the bet365 Fillies’ Mile is in prospect at Newmarket on Friday.

Charlie Appleby’s unbeaten Desert Flower heads the betting and will aim to stretch her winning run to four in following up her victory in the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster.

However, she will need to beat the might of Ballydoyle, with Aidan O’Brien running three of the seven.

Number one hope for O’Brien looks to be Dreamy. The daughter of American Pharoah looked green when winning on her debut at Goodwood in early August, but knew much more about the job when taking a Group Three at the Curragh in smooth style.

Ballet Slippers broke her maiden at the third time of asking last time out, while January, just a length and a half behind Desert Flower at Doncaster, is another with claims for O’Brien.

Another with a chance is Sir Michael Stoute’s Anna Swan, aiming to give her trainer a Group One winner before his retirement.

She impressed at Yarmouth on her debut and then proved she could handle plenty of cut in the ground at Newbury.

Adrian Murray’s California Dreamer has earned plenty of black type already but would seemingly need to take a step forward to trouble the market leaders, although Ralph Beckett’s Tabiti is no forlorn hope.

She has won both her starts for the Arc-winning connections of Beckett and Juddmonte.