Je Ne Sais Quoi can make it third time lucky in the Betting World Maiden at Kenilworth tomorrow. Ridden by Anton Marcus for the first time, the Glen Kotzen filly is the 16-10 favourite and has the form to win after two good runs over a furlong shorter.

She was only beaten a neck when starting favourite last time and, being by five-time Group 1 winner Duke Of Marmalade, she should appreciate the extra.  She holds Sparkeling Fire (8-1) on last time’s run and, while 9-2 shot Epic Storm looks the obvious danger, stable jockey Aldo Domeyer rides Happy Girl and so this 13-2 chance is suggested for the forecast.

Marcus’s mount Run Fox Run is 2-1 joint favourite with World Sports Betting to make a winning debut in the opener and, while riding arrangements suggest she is preferred to the other Ridgemont first-timer Natural Jade, the price does not really allow for the Australian bred’s inexperience.

Also three-year-old first-timers at this stage of the season may not necessarily be that good. If they were, why didn’t they run earlier? The same reservation applies to the 3-1 shot Procrastination. I prefer to take a chance with Makaranga Love who, possibly significantly, has already been backed from 7-2 to 2-1.  Captain’s Legacy (7-1) will hopefully run well enough to provide a much-needed tonic for Harold Crawford.

However the Ridgemont-Brett Crawford-Marcus combination should win the Hospitality Maiden with Engage And Beware. This 22-10 favourite had The Perfect Wave (17-2) two lengths behind over a furlong less a fortnight ago.

The Snaith-trained River Thames is second favourite at 5-2 but is badly drawn and over this 1 400m the draw is important. True, he ran well over it from a poor draw in November but he disappointed from a good one on his only subsequent start. Cash Call (9-2) ran well in a fair-sized field from a wide draw three weeks ago and could prove the main danger.

The bookies, invariably good judges – their livelihoods depend on getting it right, reckon that Twice To Sydney is a shoe-in for race three even though the sahorseracing computer says the Andre Nel runner won’t finish in the first six.

She gets the nod from this quarter as there was a fair bit of promise about her sixth of 12 behind Wallis Simpson on debut three weeks ago. Those who prefer to rely on proven form may care to note that Au Revoir (5-2) is 4.5kg top-rated.

By Michael Clower