OWEN Burrows has taken over the licence from Barry Hills this season and Markaz provides him with a great chance of landing his first stakes victory at Leicester this afternoon in the King Richard III Stakes.

The son of Dark Angel mixed it with some of the best seven-furlong horses as a three-year-old last season beating his elders when winning the Group 3 Criterion Stakes at Newmarket, running Limato to less than four lengths on two occasions and finishing just over a length behind Cable Bay in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes when last seen. There is only 8lbs between all 11 runners today but Markaz could be the improver in the pack and should put up a good performance.

Tomorrow sees the first of this season’s European classics take place as Capannelle host the Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) and the Premio Regina Elena (1000 Guineas). Both races can be viewed on www.RaceBets.com and the colts’ race throws up a couple of interesting contenders.

Basileus, a son of Ballylinch Stud resident Dream Ahead, brings Group 2 form into the race having finished runner-up in the Grand Criterium at San Siro and and William Buick takes the reins on him this time.

Another interesting contender is Qatar’s Dream, who finished second behind Tuesday’s Maisons-Laffitte winner Zarak as a two-year-old. He returned in February where he again filled the same spot before coming good in a conditions event last time out by a comfortable three lengths. The third horse - Boxeur - franked that form when winning by three and a half lengths last Friday so it will be interesting to see if Qatar Dream’s form holds up in Italy, but there is no reason why it will not. He will not lack any assistance from the saddle either, with Frankie Dettori booked.

Lucan Sweet has a recent win to his name as well but Basileus holds him on two-year-old form and he should have enough in the locker to beat the opposition and claim a first classic for Dream Ahead from his very first crop.

1000 GUINEAS

Marcel was put forward as the value bet in the English 2000 Guineas last week and Illuminate now gets the each-way vote for the fillies’ event. Following her maiden win, she went up the ranks to claim Group 3 and Group 2 events before running the current 1000 Guineas second favourite Lumiere to half-a-length in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes.

All those races were at six furlongs and some doubt has been expressed about her staying a mile as a three-year-old which is unsurprising given she is a Zoffany out of a Green Desert mare. A quick glance at her race record might back that up, given she tired in the closing stages of the Breeders’ Cup Fillies Turf over the Keeneland mile but not everything went her way that day and she was still less than three lengths off the winner.

Another Hannon filly, Sky Lantern, was beaten five and a half lengths in the same race a few years ago before winning the following season’s 1000 Guineas for Richard senior, so the team are following a tried and tested path with Illuminate.

The fact that she was a staying on second in the aforementioned Cheveley Park offers plenty of hope she will stay and there is no doubt whatsoever about her training on, when you see the way she works with yesterday’s Group 2 winner Toormore on the gallops at home. Granted he might not be the greatest work horse in the world but the fact that a three-year-old filly is even capable of working with a horse of his calibre, not to mind beating him, means she must rate as the value selection at 16/1 in a very competitive 1000 Guineas.