Clouds Unfold can become the first filly to win the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery at Kenilworth tomorrow since Empress Crown ten years ago.

Candice Bass-Robinson, whose father trained Empress Crown, won this with Dutch Philip 12 months ago and has an abundance of two-year-old talent to choose from. Aldo Domeyer’s mount was immensely impressive when beating two previous winners in a juvenile plate over a furlong less here eight weeks ago.

Justin Snaith

The selection had drifted slightly to 22-10 by yesterday morning whereas Arabian Air remained firm at 19-10 with World Sports Betting and this is a good race for favourites who have been successful in four of the last seven runnings.

Donovan Dillon’s mount can be excused last time’s below par effort over a furlong further as he was patently not himself after breaking through the pens and then not striding out freely. He finished behind stable companion Carnage with Lucky Dancer (backed from 10-1 to 7-1 here) only fifth but looks the biggest threat.  Carnage’s talented rider cannot claim his allowance so the 5-1 chance is effectively carrying 4kg overweight.

Watch Me Dad, who has already been backed from 10-1 to 17-2, won his maiden as if he could have found a bit more and Ronnie Sheehan was successful with Captain Chaos three years ago.

Justin Snaith, who last won this with Sergeant Hardy in 2016, relies on 10-1 chance Seventh Sea who took seven attempts to win a maiden but is almost certainly better than that would suggest. However Mr Crumford looks a more likely contender at 8-1. He was caught on the wrong side of the course when running below expectations in the Somerset, some four lengths behind Arabian Air.

Sailor Sam is friendless at 28-1. He is much better than his last place in the Somerset would suggest but, even so, it’s hard to see him winning.

The Bass-Robinson stable and Aldo Domeyer also won the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery 12 months ago – with future star Magical Wonderland – and they can repeat the performance with Nous Voila who is favourite at 11-10. She went close in the Perfect Promise and had 16-1 shot Coral Bay four lengths back.

It is significant that the Snaiths, who have won two of the last three runnings, have chosen this Listed race to introduce Juniper Spring, a Captain Al filly out of the 2006 winner Spring Lilac, a half-sister to Bela-Bela, Rabiya and Secret Of Victoria. “She has a lot of class and we rate her very highly,” said Jono Snaith yesterday. “But it’s a big ask first time up and we would be happy to see her get some black type.”

Juniper Spring is a 4-1 chance and Mixed Signals has been backed from 6-1 to 9-2. Carioca (17-2) was conceding weight all round in the Perfect Promise but the main danger could be the selection’s 33-10 stable companion Santa Clara.

Hopefully the forecast rain won’t wreck the racing and in the first Frank Lloyd Wright may get the better of the luckless Frozen Tune.

By Michael Clower