Timeform highlight a couple of York handicaps that look like especially strong pieces of form and should work out well.
7f nursery handicap, York
Thursday 21 August
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A very valuable race of its type that should prove strong form, most making their first start in a nursery and as many as 10 successful on their latest outing, the highly progressive first 3 fitting both criteria, the pair that had to settle for minor honours seeking hat-tricks but no match for the well-backed favourite who sealed it with a turn of foot around 2f out, providing his top yard with a third win in this race since 2021 and a second 2-y-o winner of the meeting; they stayed towards the far side in the straight though it seemed to favour those on the near flank, the 3 highest draws making the frame and just 2 from single-figure stalls finishing in the top half.
STELLAR SUNRISE looked to have been let off lightly by handicapper judged on his Goodwood win and, well backed, proved as much, relishing the longer trip and having a nursery worth 6 figures wrapped up with 1f to go; drawn wide and raced on outer, close up, quickened to lead over 2f out, in command final 1f; one to keep on right side for a while yet.
COMMAND THE STARS, under a change of tactics after 6 weeks off, continues to improve in leaps and bounds, unlucky to bump into a fellow nursery debutant as well-in as the favourite but faring best of the rest in a deep race; held up, switched under 3f out, good headway out wide over 1f out, stayed on; will be suited by 1m and remain of plenty of interest.
SPECIAL DIVIDEND, whose stable is going well, improved a chunk making his turf/nursery debut upped in trip, this looking strong form; raced wide, waited with, driven over 2f out, progress 1f out, third final strides; fared much better than his close relative Dividend in this race last year and the way that one has progressed into his 3-y-o season offers hope that Special Dividend can follow suit.
ADVANCE TWENTYFIVE had been given what seemed a fair opening mark despite his SP and ran a cracker, impressing with how he went through it and beaten only by a trio of last-time-out winners that look even further ahead of the assessor; led, went with zest, headed over 2f out, kept on; sure to win races.
GOLD DAWN settled better than usual in first-time visor (also gelded since last seen) and showed something like debut form tried in a nursery, again a touch short come the finish and it's worth repeating that a drop to sprinting could eke out some improvement; stumbled start, mid-field, progress 3f out, ridden 2f out, not quicken final 100 yds.
BALLISTIC MISSILE, returned to the scene of his debut win, went a long way to backing up the bit of improvement he'd shown last time, faring best of those drawn in single figures; mid-field, progress 2f out, chased leaders entering final 1f, one paced.
DAYDREAMA put in some good late work making nursery bow over a longer trip and is in top form at present; dwelt, raced off the pace, still plenty to do and not clearest run over 2f out, headway under pressure 1f out, stayed on; there'll be less competitive events for him to contest in the coming weeks and he remains open to improvement for a trainer whose juveniles are still ticking along nicely.
HEY TRU BLUE shaped similarly to Goodwood returned to firmer ground, this also not favouring those who stuck towards the far rail; mid-field, effort on inner 2f out, beaten entering final 1f; stays this far but may prove best up to 7f.
BETTER AND BETTER, under a penalty, shaped better than the distance beaten suggests, seeming stretched by the longer trip; raced wide, mid-field, bumped after 1f, progress 3f out, chased leaders 2f out, no extra approaching final 100 yds.
HENGROIN is best not judged on this run switched to a nursery, possibly unsuited by the change of tactics; raced off the pace, pushed along under 3f out, steady headway 1f out, effort flattened out.
KANISHKA wasn't in the same form as when winning a maiden that hasn't really worked out when last seen 8 weeks earlier; close up, driven 2f out, weakened gradually.
AMAZING JOURNEY, back on firmer ground, is better judged on how well he'd shaped behind a pair of these at Goodwood, a slow start ending his chances almost immediately; in rear, off the bridle long way out, met some trouble 2f out, merely closed up late; likely to stay beyond 7f and remains capable of better.
JUST A GIRL had bagged the favoured rail when winning at Lingfield last time and failed to pick up once in the clear switched to a nursery; handy, lost place when not clear run over 2f out, got gap under 2f out, no response.
NORFOLK BLUE, without the headgear this time, has been handed a stiff-looking mark, this sort of grade probably a bit hot for him, too; in touch, pushed along under 3f out, left behind.
UBETTERSEETHIS beat a subsequent winner at Chester but found this too competitive; prominent, driven 2f out, dropped away approaching final 1f.
PEEL PARK arrived in his first nursery with a progressive profile but disappointed after 7 weeks off; mid-division, pushed along under 3f out, struggling under 2f out; should stay 7f.
CHAMPION ISLAND had beaten a couple of these at Goodwood but clearly wasn't 100% on the day; close up, lost place halfway, folded over 2f out.
LOGI BEAR, upped in trip, shaped as if amiss and may be one with problems considering he's been tailed off on 3 of his last 4 outings; mid-division, headway on inner 3f out, folded under 2f out, heavily eased off.
7f fillies' handicap, York
Thursday 21 August
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsA useful level for this fillies' handicap and surely strong form, the first 3 pulling clear, Royal Velvet ending the recent domination of the 3-y-os in this contest to land her second win of the year at a major Festival having also scored at the July meeting; the pace was sound, but some closers still met trouble, the favourite forced to concede first run while further back Mostar Dreams and Ormolulu lost all chance as a result of interference.
ROYAL VELVET had an off day last time which is hard to explain but she wasted no time putting it behind her, this third win of the campaign showing her to be better than ever, now 2 from 2 under William Buick; held up, headway 3f out, led over 1f out, edged right, driven out.
MAYBE NOT ran at least as well in defeat as when winning the time before and she's yet to finish out of the first 2 in 4 attempts in handicap company; chased leaders, pushed along over 2f out, stayed on; she's proving versatile, as effective over further, on softer ground and when ridden more patiently.
DANCE IN THE STORM was strong in the betting and remains in top form, doing well under the circumstances given the trouble she met, and giving the impression she might still have been able to overcome it, but for her failure to settle early on inhibiting her finishing effort; dived right leaving stalls, patiently ridden, took strong hold, going well when no room over 2f out, headway over 1f out, effort flattened out having threatened to come all the way through; she remains one to be interested in, with comments made previously about trying sprinting at some stage holding true.
SHALLOW remains in good heart and though she has form over 7f, all her winning has come at shorter and it is likely to prove her optimum ridden in this fashion in this sort of company; led after 1f, ridden over 2f out, headed over 1f out, no extra only late on.
LADY MARIKO has already done her new connections proud and she ran well upped in grade, this her first time out of 0-75 company; in rear, pushed along entering straight, headway when switched under 2f out, no extra final 100 yds.
SILVER GHOST fared better than last time returned to handicap company without being seen to best effect, hampered briefly by the meandering Eternal Sunshine but also tending to lug off a true line; held up, pushed along 3f out, hung left, switched under 2f out, stayed on.
PURPLE RAINBOW, in first-time cheekpieces, fared better than on her last 2 starts despite proving unsuited by the drop back in trip; mid-field, pushed along 3f out, stayed on; she's bred to be suited by a fair bit further and will be of interest back at 1m+ having quickly come in for some help from the handicapper
MOSTAR DREAMS is better judged on her recent Haydock win as she shaped much better than the bare result; slowly into stride, held up, took strong hold, badly hampered over 2f out, shaken up over 1f out, kept on, had a hopeless task from position.
FRENCH SAND, making handicap debut, failed to improve, hardly going through the race like one stepping up in trip and she is already starting to look exposed; mid-field, pushed along before halfway, weakened only late on.
MOLLIE FOSTER wasn't up to this better company; mid-field, ridden 3f out, not quicken.
DASH OF AZURE hasn't really had the rub of the green since she made a winning reappearance, drawn wide here; held up, pushed along soon after halfway, never a threat.
CALLIANASSA was found out in better company; mid-field, pushed along 3f out, weakened over 1f out.
ETERNAL SUNSHINE is better known for her sprinting exploits, just touched off here the previous afternoon so it's easy enough to give her a pass for this, probably failing to stay but also becoming unbalanced at a crucial stage; led early, jumped path after 1f, chased leader after, shaken up over 2f out, jinked away from whip over 1f out, weakened.
ORMOLULU isn't getting much luck at the moment and can have a line put through this run; held up, ridden when badly hampered 2f out, no chance after, finished with running left.
PERFECT PART produced a below-par effort on turf for the first time this year; slowly into stride, always behind.
BELLARCHI was soon poorly placed out wide; mid-field, lost place early in straight.
ROGUE SENSATION failed to repeat last effort, is proving inconsistent; chased leaders, ridden under 3f out, edged left, weakened 2f out.
BONUS TIME ran poorly in this kind of environment for the first time; chased leaders, pushed along under 3f out, weakened gradually.
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