Scott sets St Hugh’s task for promising Efsixteen

George Scott is hoping a softly-softly approach with Newmarket winner Efsixteen pays dividends in the second half of the season, starting with Newbury’s Listed Visit Malta St Hugh’s Stakes on Friday.

The Havana Grey filly has not been seen in over three months since a promising win at the Guineas meeting in May.

Scott reported there have been no setbacks in the interim, instead insisting he deliberately eased off the filly in order to tee her up for a more rigorous second part of her two-year-old campaign.

“She’s a tall filly and not small and she’s quite leggy, so just needed that extra time really to strengthen up and be ready for this second half of the year, but I have been really pleased with her and I’m looking forward to seeing how she stacks up in a race like that,” said Scott.

“She’s been doing plenty and is ready to go. I think she will come on for the run mentally because she has been off since the Guineas meeting, but I would still like to see her on the premises.”

Efsixteen will have to have made a leap forward from her half-length HQ win given the standard of opposition lined up against her and none bring better form to this Listed race over the minimum trip than Andrew Balding’s Fast Track.

The Blue Point filly is progressing with racing and her fifth start saw her finish second to the highly-rated Wild Blossom in the Alice Keppel Fillies Conditions Stakes at Goodwood.

Her trainer is hopeful of hitting the podium at the very least at the Berkshire track.

“Her last run was very good and she seems to have come out of it well. I just hope she can run well enough to finish in the first three, we are very happy with her,” said Balding.

Godolphin’s Acting Lady was a narrow winner of a maiden at Newmarket’s July meeting on her second run and will seek some black type under William Buick.

Another Havana Grey filly, Havana Lightning, will bid to get George Boughey’s stable back on an even keel with a win after the decision to retire stable star Bow Echo rocked the Newmarket outfit earlier this week.

Wateera (Karl Burke), Blue Flight (James Fanshawe), Angels Lane (Henry Candy) and Elevating (Richard Hannon) are others with claims.