Acrostar can give Justin Snaith his fifth Final Fling – and his fourth off the reel – at Kenilworth tomorrow when ability to act in the soft will be all-important.

If you look at the re-run of last month’s Ladies Mile you will see that she put up the best performance of the six that renew rivalry here. She was shuffled back early on and still had only two behind her as she turned into the straight. It was a well-nigh impossible position in a field of 16 but she ran on strongly to take fourth, only a short head behind Petty Officer and not much more than a length off Moonlight ‘N Roses.

“She loves the soft and I think she will run a big race,” says Snaith. Richard Fourie’s mount is the forecast market leader and favourites have won three of the last five.

The former champion trainer is expecting a much improved effort from last year’s winner Cat And The Moon who was found to be in post-race distress after finishing way down the field and blinkers, fitted for the second time but not used here, are believed to be the reason. “As I put them on she became quite distressed,” Snaith recalls. “She has shown her best form with Craig du Plooy riding.”

Gift Of Rain, his third runner, hasn’t a prayer on ratings but she is a real Irish bred in that she loves the soft so don’t be all that surprised if she runs on into the money.

According to adjusted ratings there is nothing to choose between five – the top Snaith pair, Moonlight ‘N Roses, Fear Not and Petty Officer – and the sahorseracing computer has Cat And The Moon winning from Acrostar with Harlem Shake third and Jetano fourth.

Mike Bass, who has won three of the last 13, supplemented Sublime Lady as well as Moonlight ‘N Roses but it is the latter who makes more appeal. She has won in the soft and in the Ladies Mile she finished strongly in a manner that suggested she will relish the extra furlong.

Petty Officer loves to bowl along in front and, while this can make her vulnerable close home, she goes in the ground and should not be far away.

Fear Not has to overcome a 15 draw and, even with Andrew Fortune in the irons, that is a major handicap.

Joey Ramsden is in the sort of form that makes anything possible and Jetano, who started favourite for the Winter Oaks, would not need to improve all that much to pose a real threat.

Michael Clower