The much-improved Francia can take the Woolavington Handicap – despite a stiff 3kg penalty for her Settlers Trophy win – when racing returns to Kenilworth tomorrow.

The Dynasty four-year-old had already been raised 4kg for her Winter Oaks victory but, although stamina is her forte, she may be more effective over this mile and a half than the two class acts above her.

“It will make things harder for her but she is very well,” says Justin Snaith referring to the 3kg. He is bidding for his third win in this race and also runs forecast favourite Ovidio who triumphed 12 months ago when winning his fourth race off the reel. Favourites have won three of the last five runnings.

Ovidio also triumphed in the J & B Stayers on Met day but he hasn’t raced since finishing fourth in the Gold Cup nearly three months ago. With Richard Fourie still on the sidelines, the in-form Aldo Dromeyer comes in for the mount on the top weight but will the six-year-old need the race?

“Probably, he has only had one gallop and he has a hell of a weight (62kg), ” answers his trainer. ”But with a rating of 105 there is nowhere else to go with him. He will run a good race.”

Kingston Mines has also been off since the Gold Cup but he has changed stables in the interim, leaving Mike de Kock to join Brett Crawford, and seemingly he won’t be in need of the outing. “I have had him since August and he has done his work well since he has been down here,” says Brett Crawford.

Donovan Dillon’s mount won last year’s J & B Stayers and, although his form suggests he is more effective over further than this trip, he should go close. Surprisingly the sahorseracing computer has him finishing last – with victory going to Francia from My World.

The last-named is 3kg better with Francia for 3.4 lengths in the Settlers but that was his first run of the season. “I think he will be slightly fitter this time but whether he is up to the class of horses like Ovidio I am not sure,” says Candice Bass Robinson.

A little surprisingly, Grant van Niekerk has preferred to ride stable companion Three Balloons who was second in the Chairman’s Cup in February but was last in a sprint in his first race of the season 12 days ago.   “It has been a bit of a rush and I think he will probably need his second run back,” is his trainer’s opinion.

Cigar Boy is effective over this trip but not in this class – he is 6kg under sufferance – while Hilaria is more than twice as badly off.

Michael Clower