Item and Kalpana head a strong Juddmonte team heading to the Sky Bet Ebor Festival at York next week.
The former will represent the sponsors on the opening day’s Juddmonte International as he steps up to Group One company for the second time in his career.
“We’re delighted with Item, he’s done nothing wrong apart from his run in the Derby at Epsom where the ground was terrible. It’s obviously going to be a very strong renewal as it always is. Ombudsman at the top of the market looks a very, very strong contender again this year and the Ballydoyle horse (Constitution River) is a very good three-year-old.
"So it’s a deep race. We’re happy with our horse and we’re hoping that he can progress a little bit further into this company,” racing manager Barry Mahon told Wednesday’s Nick Luck Daily Podcast.
“He’s unbeaten over a mile-and-a-quarter but the last day emphasised he would stay a mile-and-a-half but until we try it on faster ground we won’t know how effective he is but he’s shown and proven he’s effective at ten so hopefully he’ll be able to give a good account of himself.”
Kalpana is on course for the Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks and heads there off the back of a career-best performance when running out a brilliant winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Explaining the decision to head to the Group One contest next week ahead of her autumn targets, Mahon said: “York is a beautiful track, it’s a Group One for fillies, she came out of the King George in good form and there’s not a lot for her between now and the Arc and the Fillies’ And Mares so we said we’d try to take this in on route.
"I remember a couple of years ago when Bluestocking won the Arc we did the King George, the Juddmonte International, the Prix Vermeille and then onto the Arc. These fillies thrive on racing and she’s in good form so we’ll keep going while she is.”
And the Juddmonte team remain on course to be double-handed in the Sky Bet Lowther on the same Thursday card.
“I think at the minute both will probably run. Jolivette is a filly we like a lot. Her last two runs have probably been below expectations, but she worked well again this morning and we’re confident there is a big run in her when things fall right so we’ll roll the dice with her.
“Livenka looked very good in the Ballyhane the last day. It probably wasn’t the strongest renewal of the race, but she did it well. Colin (Keane) felt it was like a piece of work to her, and she’s come out of it well, so again we’ll probably roll the dice with her too.”
Saturday’s Sky Bet City Of York Stakes is on the agenda for Qirat, winner of last season’s Sussex Stakes and who landed his first race since when making all in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Criterion Stakes over the same course-and-distance as his Ebor Festival target in June.
“He probably will run. I have to just confirm that with Ralph (Beckett) but he came out of Goodwood in good form. He’s a fun horse, he’s a five-year-old gelding and if he’s healthy and well, we’ll keep him busy.” Mahon added.
And on the same day there is growing confidence behind Tarriance’s bid for Sky Bet Ebor glory.
“He’s in great form and I thought he ran a lovely race in Goodwood. He had a nice break prior to that and I think just at the furlong pole he had a good blow and got tired. He’ll come forward plenty for it and could be a nice outsider in the Ebor,” Mahon added.
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