NAP of the Day: Hot on the claims of progressive Prescott filly

Can we sign off on Saturday with a winner? It'll be very welcome, after a couple of bitterly-disappointing efforts towards the end of the working week.

It's one at Ascot that's piqued my interest as far as the NAP of the Day is concerned.

She's no Alpinista - the 2022 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner - but HOT AND COLD looks a useful filly for Sir Mark Prescott and Kirsten Rausing who can complete a hat-trick at Ascot on Saturday.

The three-year-old daughter of Study Of Man made a quiet start to her career at Doncaster back in October last year, beating just one of five rivals and finishing over nine lengths off the pace.

Her subsequent sixth of 10 in a warm novice at Wolverhampton the following month was a much-improved effort, especially in the context of her slow start and troubled passage, while she got off the mark at the third time of asking at Newcastle exactly 10 days later.

That victory has very well, as the runner-up Brilliant Star, for John & Thady Gosden, went on to win her next two starts, earning a mark of 92. She's been raised a further 10lbs after finishing fourth of 12 in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot last time out.

I'm not for a minute suggesting that means Hot And Cold is a 100-rated filly herself. Clearly, the aforementioned Brilliant Star has improved leaps and bounds in the meantime, but it's a smart piece of form nonetheless.

Horse Racing Odds

Over 220 days later, the selection reappeared at three in a Salisbury handicap off an opening mark of 75, making most of the running under stable jockey Luke Morris and pulling a length clear of a fine yardstick in Lyra Lea (73).

Given it was her first go in a handicap - and only the fourth start of her career - after a long time off the track, she's open to a significant amount of improvement. Enough to defy a rise of four pounds? I sure think so.

She's stepping up in class, so more is demanded of the selection, but I don't think it's beyond her capabilities whatsoever.

I fear Charlie Fellowes' Rosa Inglesa after third in the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot last month. That was off a mark of 85, which has only risen one in the meantime. She's the big danger.

We've also got runners for the Gosdens, Owen Burrows, William Haggas, Roger Varian, Hugo Palmer and Ralph Beckett, so it won't be easy, but I reckon Hot And Cold has upwards of six pounds in hand, so it'll take a good one to beat her. If I'm right, that is.

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