Music Show hits all the right notes

Champion jockey Ryan Moore was at Channon's yard yesterday to get himself acquainted with his big-race mount as the Nell Gwyn winner worked with three others over seven furlongs.

"That was just what I wanted to see," said Channon. "Everything went good. Ryan sat on her for the first time and was very pleased with the filly. She was very strong in the work, sitting in behind and arriving late. I can't pre-judge anything, but I really couldn't be happier with Music Show.

"She's in great nick and in the form of her life. While she'll be even better in a month's time, I'm more than hopeful she'll be good enough on Sunday."

Music Show has won four of her five starts, with her only defeat coming at Ayr.

"She got stuck in the mud at Ayr," explained Channon. "That's not her ground. They're saying Seta wants a bog and that's fine by me. As far as our filly is concerned, everything is spot-on."

Moore was also satisfied with his big-race mount, saying: "She is a nice filly and I was happy with her this morning."

Criquette Head-Maarek has admitted to having stamina doubts ahead of Special Duty's tilt at the fillies' Classic.

Winter favourite for the big race, the filly was beaten on her return to action this year in the Prix Imprudence but came through her final gallop with flying colours yesterday morning.

While Head-Maarek has no doubts that her charge will improve significantly from that performance – indeed her last 1,000 Guineas winner Hatoof lost in the same race – she does confess to being unsure whether Prince Khalid Abdullah's three-year-old will see out the trip.

"She did a mile with a lead horse and she went very well. I was pleased with the work, she looks well physically and she's done well," said Head-Maarek. "Stephane Pasquier was on board and he was pleased with her.

Good horses lose their prep races all the time but they are still good horses, the question mark will be the distance."

Richard Hills was successful on Ghanaati 12 months ago and believes he has a good chance of following up on Marcus Tregoning's Feilden Stakes winner Rumoush.

"I went down to Marcus' this morning, it was just an exercise gallop to see how she'd come out of her run two weeks ago and I thought she looked fantastic. She took the race very well and put on the weight that she lost in the race," said Hills. "She really is a big girl."

The sponsors reported more support for Rumoush, cutting her into 7-1 from 8s.

"Connections appeared confident of a bold show when discussing the race at Lords yesterday and with Tabassum missing the race, punters have latched onto the Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum filly," said spokesman Charlie McCann.

STANJAMES.COM 1,000 GUINEAS. Sponsors bet: 7-2 Special Duty, 6-1 Music Show, Seta, 7-1 Rumoush, 14-1 Pollenator, 16-1 bar.

Trainer Laura Young has been disqualified for six months and fined 1,000 after the victory of Strategic Plan at Plumpton in March last year. The horse tested positive for tranexamic acid after winning the Skyvegas.com 100 Welcome Bonus Selling Handicap Hurdle at 25-1 on 23 March, 2009.