Sunday's Tips

Santa Barbara can to live up to her tall reputation by providing Aidan O'Brien with a seventh victory in the Qipco 1000 Guineas.

It is 16 years since the master of Ballydoyle first landed the fillies' Classic with Virginia Waters, since when he has added to his tally with Homecoming Queen, Minding, Winter, Hermosa and last year's brilliant winner Love.

Santa Barbara certainly looked the part when making a successful racecourse debut at the Curragh in September - but having not run since, few could have expected her to be a short-priced favourite to claim Guineas glory over Newmarket's Rowley Mile.

The reason behind her tumbling odds in recent weeks has been unusually bullish reports from her trainer, with O'Brien stating his filly had done "unbelievably well" over the winter and has been "toying with horses" in her work at home.

So while in form terms alone she hardly deserves her place at the top of the market, such comments from one of the most successful trainers in the history of the sport have to be taken very seriously.

The fact that O'Brien has decided against giving her a prep run - instead displaying enough faith in the daughter of Camelot to run her in the 1000 Guineas off the back of a solitary juvenile outing - speaks volumes about the regard in which she is held.

No prizes for originality, but Santa Barbara is expected to prove very hard to beat.

The main supporting race on the card is the preceding Betfair Dahlia Stakes, in which Lavender's Blue should make her presence felt.

Already a winner at the track, having made a successful debut here a couple of seasons ago, Amanda Perrett's mare made a smart start to the current campaign in the Listed Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes at Kempton almost four weeks ago.

That outing should leave her cherry-ripe for a Group Two contest, while a couple of her biggest rivals are running for the first time since the autumn.

Lavender's Blue has proved she handles the undulations of Newmarket and quick ground, so with the benefit of that recent outing, she looks a solid betting proposition.

Sea Karats gets the nod in the Betfair Pretty Polly Stakes.

The daughter of Sea The Stars is a full-sister to exciting stablemate Al Aasy, who made a hugely impressive start to his campaign in the Group Three John Porter at Newbury a couple of weeks ago.

Sea Karats was backed as if defeat was out of the question on her racecourse debut at the same track two days earlier.

While odds-on backers ultimately had their fingers burnt, with the three-year-old finishing a narrowly beaten third, she may well have come out on top with a clear run and remains a filly of considerable potential.

Trainer William Haggas could have targeted another maiden, but instead tests the water at Listed level, presumably in the hope she can establish herself as an Oaks contender.

Salisbury punters are advised to side with talented jumper Gumball as he returns to Flat action for the AJN Steelstock 'Delivering Steel Expertise' City Bowl Handicap.

The Philip Hobbs-trained grey finished a fair fourth when last seen on the level at Sandown in August before pursuing a career over fences.

While he came up short against some of the very best novice chasers around, he managed a win at Uttoxeter and picked up decent prize-money for finishing third behind the brilliant Shishkin in Grade One company at Aintree last time out.

Gumball will not lack assistance from the saddle for his switch of codes, with Hollie Doyle taking the ride, and a bold bid is anticipated.

It will be fascinating to see what Dragon Symbol can do when he runs on turf for the first time in the MansionBet Best Odds Guaranteed EBF Tangerine Trees Conditions Stakes at Hamilton.

Archie Watson's colt has made a big impression in winning three times in little over a month on the all-weather - most recently making a mockery of an opening handicap mark of 85 at Kempton.

The assessor has slapped him with a 14lb rise for that triumph, meaning he does not have much to find on the book with the highly-tried Muker as he steps into conditions company.

Muker is a likeable type and should step forward from a recent comeback run, but Dragon Symbol might just be a bit special.

SELECTIONS:

HAMILTON: 2.10 Ventura Flame, 2.40 Great Esteem, 3.15 Dragon Symbol, 3.55 Puckle, 4.25 Wild Hope, 4.55 Fantastic Fox, 5.25 Pearl Of Qatar.

NEWMARKET: 1.15 River Alwen, 1.50 Zabeel Champion, 2.25 Sea Karats, 3.00 Lavender's Blue, 3.40 SANTA BARBARA (NAP), 4.15 Berkshire Phoenix, 4.50 Parachute, 5.20 Inveigle.

SALISBURY: 1.00 Mirique, 1.30 Hamoudi, 2.05 Gumball, 2.35 Jack Kennedy, 3.10 Farhan, 3.45 Samoot, 4.20 Chetan.

SLIGO: 1.45 Powerful Aggie, 2.15 Camino Mission, 2.50 Forbearance, 3.25 Sayesse, 4.00 Tashgheel, 4.30 Passaggi, 5.00 Hell Left Loose.

DOUBLE: Sea Karats and Santa Barbara.