Balding filly 'in great form' for Mill Reef bid Andrew Balding believes Perfect Angel's ability to handle soft ground will stand her in good stead in the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury today. The daughter of Dark Angel made a promising debut over the course and distance in June, when she was only beaten half a length by Funky Footsteps, before she opened her account in a maiden at Glorious Goodwood. She was sent off favourite for the Group Three Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes at Salisbury two weeks ago, but the race did not pan out for her and she finished only fifth to Madam Dancealot. Balding reckons Perfect Angel has each-way prospects in the Group Two contest named after Mill Reef, trained by his father Ian, who won this race with the filly Forest Flower in 1986. "We were a little disappointed with her at Salisbury. She was favourite that day," said the Kingsclere handler. "There seemed to be a strong bias towards the front runners and she got shuffled back early on and had to come from off the pace "She's in great form and she's very versatile regards ground conditions. She ran well at Newbury on very soft ground so I'd hope she'd have a little each-way chance." Marco Botti is expecting Unabated, who made a successful debut on soft ground at Newmarket in June, to go well. The Bated Breath colt bounced back from a below-par display in the Gimcrack Stakes at York with a solid third-placed show behind The Last Lion in the Sirenia Stakes at Kempton two weeks ago. "He has come out of Kempton well and seems in good form. He ran much better there than he did at York," said Botti. "He stayed on well and almost got second despite being too keen early on, and it was good to see the winner run so well in the Flying Childers last week. "His form is good but he needs to learn to settle. There is a chance he could go back to five furlongs for the Cornwallis Stakes at Newmarket next month." The race lost some of it sheen with Mokarris, who was the probable favourite, an absentee due to torrential rain overnight on Thursday. Connections of the Mark Johnston-trained Sutter County are keeping a keen eye on conditions before deciding whether to allow the Invincible Spirit colt to take his chance. Sutter County returned from a four-month absence through injury four weeks ago at York, where he was fourth in the Listed Roses Stakes over the minimum distance. "No definite decision has been made on him. He won on the all-weather and then won at Newmarket but not as spectacularly as we were hoping he would," said Johnston's son and assistant, Charlie. "In the immediate aftermath we put it down the fact that the ground was on the slow side that day. It later transpired the horse had injured himself, so perhaps that was why he didn't perform as well as we had expected him to. "We can't be certain whether he handles soft ground or not, so we'll see just hat the ground is like and play it by ear. "On good ground I'd be hoping he'd run a big race. He'd been off a long time before he ran at York. He was probably a bit rusty after his injury. "He's a horse we think a huge amount of. We liked him a lot early doors and it's such a shame he's missed so much of the season and it would be nice to make up for lost time, but this race isn't the be all and end all. He's an exciting horse for next year. "We won't run him unless conditions are right."
