Godolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford concedes Antara needs to run the race of her career if the filly is to triumph in a Group 1 contest today.
The five year old returns to elite company for the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes over a mile at Newmarket and will line up against Sahpresa, who has won the last two Sun Chariot Stakes, Maqaasid, owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, the French Group 1 winner Lily Of The Valley and Dubai Duty Free runner-up River Jetez.
Antara made a winning seasonal return in the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom last month but Saeed bin Suroor, her trainer, knows that to triumph today she will have to produce a similar performance to the ones at Glorious Goodwood and Deauville, France last year.
"We are hoping for a good run but there are one or two fillies in the line-up that are probably too good for her and she will have to put up a career-best effort if she is going to win," Crisford said .
"It's always quite difficult to find the right opportunity for her because she is just a few pounds below the very top fillies. The important thing is to find the right slot for her and the timing of this race is very good. I hope that she is good enough to get placed and let's hope that she might get lucky and win."
Antara will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.
"We decided to keep her fresh for her races this season and space out her runs," bin Suroor said. "She will have no problem with the stiff mile at Newmarket and deserves another chance in a Group 1 contest."
Meanwhile, Dettori will hope to pilot Gamilati to her first victory today. She lines up the Group 2 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cherry Hinton Stake after two narrow defeats at Newmarket.
"Gamilati is unlucky to still be a maiden after two starts and we were expecting her to win on her latest appearance," Mahmood Al Zarooni, her trainer, said.
* Compiled by with agency
