EASTON ANGEL will swerve a possible appearance in the Weatherbys Super Sprint in order to tackle the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket on Friday, July 10.

The Michael Dods-trained two-year-old produced one of the stand-out performances at last week’s Royal Ascot meeting, even though she went down to a one-and-a-half length defeat to the American raider Acapulco.

Acapulco, trained by leading US handler Wesley Ward, looked like a superstar as she swept to victory in the Queen Mary Stakes, but Easton Angel was snapping at her heels as she finished two-and-a-half lengths clear of the rest of the field.

The performance would have been more than good enough to win most renewals of the Queen Mary, and she will be stepped up to Group Two level when she competes in the Duchess of Cambridge, formerly known as the Cherry Hinton, next month.

“We’ve discussed her options and it will be the Duchess of Cambridge next,” said joint-owner Ritchie Fiddes, who sold a half-share in the filly to Qatar-based Al Shaqab Racing shortly before Royal Ascot. “We were all delighted with how she ran, she just bumped into a freak.

“I always felt she’d get six furlongs, and Paul (Mulrennan) and Michael are confident six will suit her. It’s a stiff five at Ascot and she was closing all the way to the line, so she should have no problems with it.

“We discussed it with Harry Herbert (Al Shaqab’s racing advisor) and even though you get more for coming second in the Super Sprint than winning the Group Two, we’re more interested in trying to win a Group race.

“It doesn’t look like she has any ground preference, and she looks like she’ll stay further, so there are lots of options later in the season.”

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HUGHIE MORRISON is lining up his Royal Ascot winner, Arab Dawn, for a crack at the Betfred Ebor at York in August.

Arab Dawn claimed the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at the Royal meeting, and Morrison is set to pass up a tilt at next month’s John Smith’s Cup in order to focus on the Ebor.

“We’re having a debate about what might be his best trip,” said Morrison. “It could be ten furlongs, 14 or even two miles. The great thing about him is that he can get himself out of trouble. If he settles, we’d love to win an Ebor. That might be the plan.”

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MAAREK will only run in the Betfred Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle on Saturday if the ground is not too firm.

The eight-year-old is one of 24 entries for the six-furlong Group Three that he won in 2012, but trainer Evanna McCutcheon said: “Although he doesn’t have to have bog-like conditions, he does need the rain to take the sting out of the ground.”