Wasseema poised to justify support

BACKING a horse who was third on her only appearance to date in a Group Three race against established performers would usually lead to the road to ruin.

However, the noises coming out of Newmarket suggest that Wasseema, who goes in the Shadwell Nell Gwyn Stakes at Headquarters today, is no normal three-year-old.

She has already been backed to win the 1000 Guineas and is now as low as 12-1 with some major firms for the fillies’ Classic, so if she is not up to winning this on her reappearance there will be some long faces in the Sir Michael Stoute yard.

The fact that Richard Hills, the retained jockey of owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, has picked her ahead of John Dunlop’s Mostaqeleh, who has already won two decent races, speaks volumes.

She looked in need of further than six furlongs on her debut so this seven-furlong trip should suit and she looks to have more promise than any other runner in the field.

The six-furlong Blandford Bloodstock Abernant Stakes appears to give Baltic King a decent chance of opening his seasonal account at the first attempt.

In amazingly consistent form last year, he was only just outstayed by mud-lover Wels Emperor on easy going in the Bentinck Stakes over course and distance last time out.