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This performance
has made people think this
and shut other people up who said stuff like this.
Savour days like yesterday, they don’t come around too often (until BGP II fires up it''s engine obvs).
Now, let’s dive in.
York Ebor festival – Day 2 preview
Gr2 Lowther Stakes
The Gr2 Lowther Stakes for fillies opens day two of the York Ebor meeting, a race that sees the Queen Mary victor, DRAMATISED, back on the turf for the first time in 64 days.
DRAMTISED is stepping up to six furlongs today which shouldn’t be an issue on pedigree (her mum was a Listed winner at six furlongs) and her pricked ears when crossing the line suggest she had an easy enough race. But…
It’s no secret the Queen Mary form has holes in it. Thirteen big holes in fact – that’s how many horses have come out since and failed to win. That said, The PLATINUM QUEEN was 13th and has since clocked a rapid time at Goodwood.
The only other Group 2 winning filly in the line-up is Godolphin’s MAWJ, a horse we backed at Royal Ascot when she finished second to Meditate in the Albany Stakes. We had good word for MEDITATE weeks ago for this race, but she has since been targeted towards the Curragh instead. This could be proper form and MAWJ is, after all, a sister to MODERN GAMES who was a Breeders Cup winner as a juvenile.
Group 2 win in the Duchess Of Cambridge:
MAWJ trainer, Saeed bin Suroor is sticking with jockey Ray Dawson despite the ‘holiday’ he received on this horse lto after a dramatic swerve, impeding LEZOO (a Ralph Beckett filly who has since come out and won a Group 3 at Ascot, franking the form) – she has five pounds to find on official ratings with DRAMATISED.
Who was second to the previously mentioned Lezoo in that Ascot race? KINTA, George Boughey’s Sioux Nation filly who is stepping into Group 2 company for the very first time. She’s not really done much wrong and is by SIOUX NATION who is a sire to watch so isn’t without a chance, but might just be a few lbs short today. A win for today would give William Buick his first success in the race, something he is yet to do in six attempts previously.
Second to Lezoo at Ascot:
LADY HOLLYWOOD is taking the plunge into Group company today after turning the Irish over in their own back yard. She runs for the out-of-form Alice Haynes stable but if she can continue her progression, now over six furlongs for the first time, this Amo Racing/NFT pump and dumper’s filly can’t be discounted.
Listed success at Naas:
The interesting one in the race is Kevin Ryan’s QUEEN ME whose mum won the Lowther, as did her Mum’s Mum and her Mum's Mum's Mum. Bet you didn’t know that.
One at a huge price that could perhaps outrun her odds is KERINDIA for the Michael Bell and David Egan partnership. This 65,000 guineas girl was last seen just 16 days ago behind Aidan O’Brien’s THE ANTARCTIC in a Deauville Group 3 event – could this form prove useful after the event?
3rd over in Deauville:
Our view: Burke said DRAMATISED wouldn’t lose at Royal Ascot, in fact, he said he’d give Wesley Ward his hat if she lost. The same vibes are coming from the camp today and although I’d love love love to look past her for a value play, it’s fucking hard.
Gr1 Yorkshire Oaks
Seven go to post for today’s nice renewal of the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks. Sir Mark Prescott’s star filly, ALIPINISTA carries both market and public expectations at the top of the market – is she a superstar in the making?
The daughter of Frankel made it six from the last six in July’s Group 1 Prix de Saint-Cloud when beating the boys – four of those victories have been at Group 1 level over this distance.
She also has course form with a second in this race two years ago to Aidan O’Brien’s super-mare LOVE.
Success for ALPINISTA in France:
Paddy Twomey’s LA PETITE COCO is one of the progressive fillies in this field who will be hoping to take down SMP’s five-year-old.
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Following a lengthy holiday, this four-year-old picked up right where she left off earlier this year in the Gr1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh – she was a big drifter on the day, yet she found the gears to beat MY ASTRA by half a length.
Despite her gritty attitude, she does hold some worries coming into today’s feature event.
Firstly, although she has already won at this distance at Group 3 level, this is her toughest race to date at the trip and is a big question mark.
Secondly, the form of her Pretty Polly can be questioned. MY ASTRA had only won a Listed event before stepping up to the Group 1, THUNDER KISS has been a Gr 3 horse at the very best this season, CONCERT HALL was fourth in an Oaks but she has failed to land any big races in her three-year-old season, and PURPLEPAY was well beaten in a Group 2 nto.
The filly next in the market is TUESDAY who gets weight from the market leaders and is trained by the master of Ballydoyle. AOB has won this contest six times from 29 runners and this year sends an Oaks winner, yes OAKS WINNER, to the race to try and capture the ‘seven-heaven’ moment.
Epsom Oaks success for the Galileo filly:
If you ignore her bomb-out in the Irish Derby, where O’Brien all but admitted she was brought back too soon and maybe a shot against the boys wasn’t the right decision, then the form beating NASHWA in the Oaks seems might be the one to take note of.
LILAC ROAD won the Gr2 Middleton Stakes at York, and that form although not scintillating has held up tbf. She then went to Goodwood where she ran into Nashwa and didn’t disgrace herself when 3rd. She’ll like the ground and she is proven on the track. It’s the older fillies against the 3yo fillies and she could prove that she is coming of age now.
Our view: ALPINISTA is going after her 4th Group 1 and first domestic Group 1 having won in Germany and France. The form of her previous races is questionable. The quick ground could be a concern for LA PETITE COCO and the bounce factor is a niggling worry, but she is improving with age tbf. The two fillies aforementioned have to give 9lbs to the 3yo fillies TUESDAY and MAGICAL LAGOON. We’re siding with TUESDAY where her weight for age should give her every chance.
Listed SIR HENRY CECIL GALTRES STAKES
The final big stakes race of the day is the 4:10 on the card, a race previously won by FORBEARANCE, SEARCH FOR A SONG, and ABINGDON.
William Haggas won back-to-back renewals of this race in 2013 and 2014 with OUR OBSESSION, this year GOLDEN LYRA flies the flag for the Newmarket-based trainer.
This Lope De Vega filly has already shown that she holds some good potential, as she bolted up lto and on debut by five lengths as well as a promising second in the Listed Abingdon Stakes in June.
Second behind STAY ALERT at Newbury:
GOLDEN LYRA was very green this day and will have learned a lot on her second turf start – she has a great chance to win today.
Besides her, this contest looks wide open.
Juddmonte are double-handed in the race through the once-raced HASKOY and thrice-raced TIME LOCK, last year’s winning trainer Jessica Harrington brings over SUPAGIRL to Britain for just her second time, and Frankie Dettori, someone who is four from eleven in this race, gets the leg up on MIMIKYU, a full-sister to the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile second Indigo Girl and the Group 1 winning mare Journey.
Haskoy’s impressive debut as Wolverhampton:
Our view: There are a few fillies in here that are capable, TIME LOCK at an each way price for instance. However, GOLDEN LYRA looks the most appealing. GL has run the 3 times, she won at Newmarket as a 2yo and put 6 lengths on Nashwa no less. Her first run of the year was promising, she bumped into a race-fit filly who had just been beaten by Nashwa before she went on to be 3rd in the Oaks and then won the French Oaks. The form is group class, she is well bred (her mum is a sister to SEA THE MOON), she is trained by Shaggas who can do no wrong this season and she holds the best form (at the moment).
Risk On
13.50 DRAMATISED
Yard bullish on this girl once again and from stall 1 she edges it. Short enough, but full bet at evens.
16.10 GOLDEN LYRA
Without a doubt the form to beat. Full bet at 3/1.
16.45 ONE NATION
Half bet on the fave here. XJ RASCAL about to be pulled so don’t know what the price will be, but I’ve taken a full bet at 7/2 and will suffer the rule 4. This guy is very much fancied by the yard and his form from Sandown looks good. Trusting the weight doesn’t stop him but he’s bred to be Group class.
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