Andrew Asquith provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Adaay of Scarlett tops Timeform ratings
There are some sharp types on show in this year’s renewal of the Star Sports National Stakes (17:42), but it is the unbeaten Adaay of Scarlett who comes out top on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and looks the one to side with.
He’s the first foal out of a useful sprinter and made a very good impression when winning by four and a quarter lengths on debut at Newmarket last month, looking very fit beforehand and easily beating a next-time-out winner.
Adaay of Scarlett was strong in the market when following up in a three-runner event at Ascot 17 days later, likely at an advantage dictating the pace, but responding well to pressure when coming under threat to narrowly prevail from another promising rival.
He holds the reopposing A Bear Affair on that running and, still with developing to do physically, he likely has more to offer and can set himself up nicely for the Norfolk at Royal Ascot next month.
Heron Stakes has excellent roll of honour
It looks a good renewal of the Star Sports Heron Stakes (18:42) which has produced plenty of high-class sorts over the years, Opera Ballo and Almaqam who have won the last two editions just two examples.
It is also a race which the Gosdens have done well in over the years, often used as a stepping stone for their St James’s Palace horse, and Yazin looks a most interesting contender.
He’s from a smart family and confirmed the promise of his debut run when opening his account at Redcar last season and he found significant improvement to follow up in a red-hot race at Newmarket.
Yazin beat a host of next-time-out winners and it was the manner of that success which marked himself out as a smart colt in the making. He’d undergone a breathing operation ahead of his reappearance at Southwell five weeks ago and he progressed further, well suited by the step up to a mile and leaving the impression there’s better still to come.
This will be his stiffest test to date, but he arrives totally unexposed, and it is interesting connections are committing to the mile trip (he held an entry in the Dante).
Raammee looks well handicapped
It is hard to get away from the claims of Raammee in the starsports.bet Whitsun Cup Handicap (19:45) who arrives unbeaten and looks a smart prospect.
He hails from a talented family – out of a mare who won the Nell Gwyn Stakes and finished third in the 1000 Guineas – and he looked like a chip of the old block as he overcame both greenness and the run of the race to make a winning debut at Kempton last summer.
Raammee beat a now-useful rival on that occasion and, even though he was faced with a simple task at Newcastle next time, he improved markedly to beat an easy next-time-out winner by 12 lengths.
That form has seemingly been underestimated by the handicapper who has given Raammee a lenient opening mark of 95 and he’s strongly fancied to complete a hat-trick on his return to action.
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