Maya aiming to cap ‘marvellous’ year with Scottish Sprint success

Gale Force Maya bids to claim her fifth victory of the season for in-form trainer Michael Dods in the Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies’ Stakes at Ayr on Friday.

The Darlington-based trainer has his string firing on all cylinders following doubles at both Thirsk and Redcar earlier in the week and has high hopes of adding to his tally with one of his stable stars.

Gale Force Maya made a successful start to her campaign at Newmarket’s Craven meeting in April and has subsequently struck gold three times at York, most recently breaking her duck in Listed company.

Dods is expecting another bold showing in the £47,000 feature on day two of the Ayr Gold Cup meeting.

He said: “She’s better on fast ground and we’re pulling her back half a furlong having done most of her racing over six, but if the ground goes that will be her season finished, so we thought we’d take a chance and hope it dries up a bit.

“She’s in good form, so hopefully she runs well. It would be nice to get some more black type. She’s had a marvellous year.”

Gale Force Maya heads a field of 18 runners, with Irish hopes carried by the Jessica Harrington-trained Sablonne and Fozzy Stack’s My Eyes Adore You.

The latter was beaten just a length into fourth place in the Group Three Ballyogan Stakes at Naas last month and looks a leading contender.

“She ran a good race in Naas the last day and a repeat of that run will put her there or thereabouts hopefully,” said Stack.

“She’s been running well all year. Michael Dods’ filly is not a bad filly, so we’ll see how we go.

“Our filly is well, so hopefully she travels all right and everything else.”

The other Listed race on Friday’s card is the British EBF Stallions Harry Rosebery Stakes, in which Prince Of Pillo is set to make a swift reappearance.

Keith Dalgleish’s youngster finished a creditable fourth in the Group Two Flying Childers at Doncaster on Sunday and enjoys a drop in class just five days later.

Mike Prince, director of operations for owners Middleham Park Racing, said: “He had a bit of a rough race early on in the Childers. He got struck into twice and had a bit of cut on one of his joints, but thankfully it was just superficial and he’s fine.

“Keith is happy with him and we go again. The first two fillies in the Flying Childers (Trillium and The Platinum Queen) were a class apart, but I thought he ran a respectable race after getting hampered early.

“He’s pretty versatile ground-wise and hopefully, in lesser company, he should be bang there.”

Prince Of Pillo’s rivals include Roger Varian’s consistent colt Bolt Action and Kerindia from Michael Bell’s yard.