Freya now odds-on for Empress after setting first round standard

SILVERHILL FREYA is 10/11 with the sponsor for the bet365 Empress Stakes after posting by far the quickest heat time in the 500m Category One competition at Towcester on Sunday.

On an afternoon when original outright market leader New Destiny was eliminated, the Graham Holland-trained Irish raider Silverhill Freya beat kennelmate Bockos Sapphire by just over a length in 28.71sec (normal) as he started the bid to add to her Shelbourne Christmas Oaks and Cork Oaks titles.

Pat Cooney, bet365 spokesman, said: "Silverhill Freya is now our slight odds-on favourite after her convincing win in a rapid 28.71sec in the opening round, while she also appears favourably drawn in her semi final heat where, granted a similar 4.08sec sectional, she should soon be ahead of her rivals.

"Second in our ante-post list is the very promising January 24 puppy Strike It Skye, who overcame trouble in running to win in a very respectable 29.18sec. It won’t be easy in her semi final though as she is surrounded by early pace.

"Bockos Sapphire ran with great credit when just over a length behind Silverhill Freya and will be rated a real danger to Strike It Skye in that semi-final.

"I suppose there’s a reasonable chance that the final may well be an all rails affair, but Indian Floyd, a middle seed, Ballymac Kinga and Singalong Molly, who are both wide seeds, could well make the final and be each-way contenders at their current outright odds.

"There’s still lots to play for!"

bet365 - Empress Stakes: 10/11 Silverhill Freya, 5 Strike It Skye, 10 Bockos Sapphire, 14 Ballymac Kinga, Coppice Saphire, 20 Indian Floyd, Singalong Molly, 25 bar (e-w 1/4 1,2,3).

Sunday's bet365 Empress Stakes semi-finals