Listed Dick Hern Stakes Guide 2022

The oldest runner in this line up, Don’t Tell Claire rose from the handicap ranks as a 3 year old where she only managed to win a couple of low level events over 7 furlongs and a mile.

Last seen was much the same for the Gutaifan mare, and she scored twice in handicap company. Managing to defy a mark of 83 in a decent class 2 event at Ascot, she found herself moved into listed company after but failed to get truly competitive in deeper waters and only managed mid division finishes.

This season she’s been back in handicap ranks and hasn’t made much of an impact in any of her three starts. It would be a major surprise to see her playing any kind of major role in this strong looking listed event.

Rising Star has been a busy sort for Marco Botti. Despite pulling up on her first outing, she scored her first win only 10 days later. She won again as a 2 year old before being beaten in a group 2 on her last outing of the season.

Last year she was mainly seen in handicap company and after going close in a class 2 event at Newmarket, she scored a low level affair off a mark of 85 easily. She struggled in handicaps after that after being raised by the handicapper and then found listed company too much last Autumn.

She’s fared a bit better this year. Winning a handicap over a mile easily, she struggled in her next few outings until a massive 40/1 victory at Royal Ascot to win the Kensington Palace Stakes by a neck.

Last seen in a listed race over a mile, she found herself well beaten at Pontefract. She looked out of place in a listed race last time out and will need to show more here.

After failing to win as a 2 year old in three attempts, it then took a further 4 runs as a 3 year old for Sunset Bay to score her first success.

Winning in a low level handicap off a mark of 74 she then scored smartly next time out off a mark of 80.

A mark of 89 saw her well held in a handicap in her next run, she also struggled to get herself involved in group and listed races at the end of the season.

Only beating a few rivals home in a group 3 at Doncaster over 7 furlongs, she then was a well beaten 10th in her next outing.

She hasn’t been seen since October of last year when she came 9th in a listed race at Lingfield, she’ll need to be fully tuned up after 282 days off the track to be getting involved here.

Andrew Balding brings his 4 year old Auria here but his filly hasn’t had the best of starts to this season. Running twice this year she was well beaten in a handicap on her seasonal return and then only managed to beat one rival home in a group 3 event last time out.

She fared better as a 3 year old last year, winning a listed race over a mile before finding group racing out of her comfort zone.

A drop to a mile at Sandown saw her to great effect in a listed race last July but she couldn’t kick on from that in deeper contests.

She’s failed to put her best foot forward in group races so far and it’s hard to see her having a major role in this race.

A lightly raced 4 year old filly, Miss Marble made her debut back in November of 2020 and shaped well enough to be 2nd on her first run.

Only seen a couple of times as a 3 year old, the daughter of Iffraaj scored her first win over a mile before then defying her penalty to win a novice with bundles in hand. Trying listed and handicap company off the back of that saw her well beaten however.

She returned in decent form this year to win a handicap at Nottingham over a mile with a good amount in hand off a mark of 91.

Moved up to group 3 company off the back of that she failed to handle the step up in grade but shaped well enough to be 5th behind Bashkirova at Epsom.

Dropping in grade might see her in a better light but she’s got something to prove against this company.

Ed Walker’s Random Harvest scored smartly on her debut run but found wins hard to come by after that. Unable to win in a novice as a 3 year old, she then failed to transition into handicap company too.

This year she’s only been seen in handicaps and has tasted some mixed success. Her first outing over 10 furlongs seemed to stretch her stamina too much and she was then only narrowly denied over 7 furlongs next time out.

This trip seemingly too sharp for her, she shaped with more promise over a mile to be a close 2nd to Rising Star in the Kensington Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Scoring at a lower level since, she then found a mark of 89 difficult to defy in her most recent run. A dip into listed company is likely to see her wanting for quality.

Currently at the foot of the betting is Isola Rossa for James Franshawe. The filly broke her maiden as a 2 year old and spent all of last season in handicap races.

Bouncing between 6 furlongs up to a mile, she certainly looked her best over 8 furlongs. Winning a class 4 event on the all weather off a mark of 79.

The handicapper seemingly got the better of her off the back of that and she failed to win again until scoring at Linfield back in May in a class 4 race.

She shaped very nicely in the Kensington Palace Stakes to be 3rd behind Rising Star and Random Harvest, but found the latter way too good at Ascot last time out.

Currently held in handicaps and held on the form lines, it’s unlikely for her to be in the mix.

Only seen once in her career, Floral Splendour made her debut at Haydock over 7 furlongs and made a startling impression.

Sitting relatively handy in the field, P J McDonald gave his mount a squeeze in the final furlong and saw his mount respond generously to easily stretch clear of the field. Hitting the line powerfully and quickening up well, she put 6 lengths between her and the 2nd place effortlessly.

She’s worth being tried in a higher grade off the back of that and is likely to continue her improvement, it’s blind faith that she’s going to be good enough however.

George Boughey’s charge has proven herself as a hardy sort and despite only being 3 years old she’s already had 17 career runs.

Winning a conditions race and a group 3 last year, she also ran well multiple times in defeat as a juvenile. Placing in group two and group one races, she wasn’t disgraced in deeper waters towards the end of her first campaign.

This season she’s been kept busy too, scoring a listed race over 7 furlongs back in June, she then kept running to a consistent level to be 2nd or 3rd in listed events and a group 3 at Ascot last month. With only a short break off the back of that run, she scored a group 3 win at Goodwood narrowly.

She’s backing up from that with only a 10 day break and if handling the short turn around she has the best form in the field.

Another runner for John and Thady Gosden, Thundershower wears the all blue of Godolphin and makes her fourth career start here. Having debuted over 10 furlongs at Chelmsford back in February, she came home a poor 5th of 7 runners.

Put away for a few months off the back of that she scored on turf to take a maiden at Nottingham smartly over a mile.

Last seen back at Nottingham last month, the well bred filly scored again in a novice race. Just managing to defy her penalty in a small runner affair.

She’s clearly improving with her runs but will have to make a big step up to get competitive in a listed race here.

Ed Walker’s Random Harvest scored smartly on her debut run but found wins hard to come by after that. Unable to win in a novice as a 3 year old, she then failed to transition into handicap company too.

This year she’s only been seen in handicaps and has tasted some mixed success. Her first outing over 10 furlongs seemed to stretch her stamina too much and she was then only narrowly denied over 7 furlongs next time out.

This trip seemingly too sharp for her, she shaped with more promise over a mile to be a close 2nd to Rising Star in the Kensington Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Scoring at a lower level since, she then found a mark of 89 difficult to defy in her most recent run. A dip into listed company is likely to see her wanting for quality.

The daughter of Kingman comes here having only made her debut this season for the Gosden team. Despite being beaten on her first outing of the season, she put her experience to good use to get off the mark at the second time of asking over a mile.

Moved up to 10 furlongs off the back of that initial success, she failed to move up in trip and grade and came home a well beaten 3rd, the trip seemingly catching her out.

Dropped back to a mile for her most recent run she shaped much more encouragingly to be 3rd in the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot.

This is a step up in class for her and she needs to prove she can mix it in listed company, however she has proved that a mile is certainly her ideal trip.