Desert Queen is set to bid to retain her crown in the most valuable race of the month at Market Rasen Racecourse. The nine-year-old reigned over her rivals 12 months ago in the most significant victory of her career when she made her first start over fences a winning one in the Bud Booth Mares’ Chase. 

The Harry Fry-trained mare enjoyed her first Listed race success in the inaugural running of the race named in honour of the racecourse’s long-serving chairman Colin ‘Bud’ Booth who stepped down at the end of 2016. Desert Queen is the joint highest rated horse among 12 potential runners in the 188bet.co.uk-sponsored three-mile contest on Thursday. Indian Stream is the only other entrant who has a victory at Market Rasen to her name. A major player would be Paul Nicholls’ Antartica De Thaix, with three wins out of four runs during 2017, including one in which she defeated Harry Fry’s horse.