Anthem Alexander© Photo Healy Racing
Royal Ascot-winning filly Anthem Alexander is the star turn among 10 sprinters declared for the Woodlands Stakes at Naas on Monday.
Edward Lynam's daughter of Starspangledbanner beat leading juvenile filly Tiggy Wiggy in the Queen Mary Stakes in Berkshire last June, but had to make do with minor honours behind the same opponent in both the Lowther at York and the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.
While Tiggy Wiggy stepped up in distance unsuccessfully for her first start as a three-year-old, Anthem Alexander instead drops back to five furlongs for this well-contested Listed event.
The field is headed by last year's winner Maarek for Evanna McCutcheon, while Tommy Stack saddles Great Minds, an impressive winner of the Cork Stakes three weeks ago.
Fozzy Stack, son and assistant to his father, is hoping for rain in County Kildare.
He said: "He was good in Cork the other day and a bit more rain wouldn't be any harm to him.
"This is another step up and it will be interesting to see how we get on."
Tom Hogan, trainer of Group One-winning sprinter Gordon Lord Byron, is represented by French recruit Dikta Del Mar.
The three-year-old filly ran away with a Listed prize at Longchamp in October and Hogan is keen to find out what he has.
Hogan said: "It's her first run for me and being a three-year-old filly she's not as experienced as a lot of the others.
"She's quite a nice, sweet filly and hopefully we'll see the best of her later in the year.
"I'm not 100 per cent sure what ground she wants, or whether she might want a bit further. We'll find out a bit about her tomorrow.
"She's in pretty deep, but I'm hoping for a nice run."
Aidan O'Brien runs last week's Cork winner Eisenhower, while Ainippe is a player for Ger Lyons.
Musical Comedy, who carries the colours of the Queen, is sent across the Irish Sea by Britain's champion trainer Richard Hannon.
