Tuesday 12 August 2014 13:04, UK
Trainer David Evans is still targeting next week's Lowther Stakes at York for Patience Alexander, despite being at a loss to explain her disappointing showing at Haydock on Saturday.
The Kodiac filly got the better of high-class juvenile Tiggy Wiggy at York earlier in the year and ran creditably in defeat when third in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.
She was unsurprisingly a hot favourite for her nursery debut on Merseyside, despite conceding weight all round, but inexplicably weakened out of contention to finish last of four runners.
Evans said: "She seems fine and I don't know what happened on Saturday.
"Maybe the pace of the race was too slow for her, but it was a very disappointing run.
"She was in season the week before when she was due to run in the Molecomb at Glorious Goodwood, but she wasn't in season on Saturday. Maybe she'd have run better if she was.
"All being well, she'll still go to York for the Lowther.
"I'm not sure six (furlongs) is her trip, but the Lowther is the target."
Richard Fahey, David O'Meara, Niall Hannity and Mark Howard are on the panel for a special York Ebor Meeting preview night, to be held at the racecourse on Tuesday August 19.
