Nic Doggett provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Take the 25s for the 1000 Guineas now on Musical Times?
Thursday's Betfred May Hill Stakes (15:35) is named after the Peter Walwyn-trained filly whose victories included Doncaster's Park Hill Stakes in 1975. She began that year slowly but progressed over the months and, by the end of the season, her wins – which also included the Yorkshire Oaks - earned her the title of top-rated British three-year-old filly.
Only one of this year's 11-strong line-up has made the sort of impression that May Hill had on her sole start (win) at two, and as a result Musical Times has the Timeform 'large P' attached to her rating.
She was value for extra over the experienced runner-up Scommessa Sicura (who reopposes here), the pair powering clear of the rest, on debut in June, and didn't need to improve to maintain her unbeaten record at Yarmouth next time where she could've won by much further.
The last Godolphin winner of the 1000 Guineas, Desert Flower, took a similarly understated route to this race. She won this, the Fillies' Mile, and the HQ Classic on her next three starts...
But, as May Hill's Classic season illustrates, progression comes at different rates. It took Sea Of Rain five attempts to break her maiden tag, but she has since won a Curragh Group 3 and would be a timely winner for her octogenarian trainer who has recently sold his yard to the up-and-coming Emmet Mullins.
Ballyskeagh took another step forward when second in the same race and, along with Ballydoyle maiden Speckles – who was fifth that day – will bid to give Ireland a first win in this since his trainer Aidan O'Brien took the 2018 renewal with 12/1 chance Fleeting.
With Martinet (Sir Mark Prescott) and Beguiled (John & Thady Gosden) adding further depth, this looks a good renewal, and one which will no doubt shake-up the markets for next year's fillies' Classics.
Open-looking renewal of the Park Hill Stakes
The aforementioned Park Hill Stakes takes place at 15:00 and sees the David O'Meara-trained Ryka facing a tough task, as the sole northern-trained four-year-old bids to repel a host of fillies from more well-heeled southern and Irish yards. Mark Johnston (Eastern Aria, 2015) is the only one to have managed such a feat this century.
Run over the same C&D as Saturday's Betfred St Leger, Thursday's race features several who ran in it 12 months ago, including Consent (neck-second), Danielle (two and a half lengths fourth) and Floresta (three and a quarter lengths fifth).
Several in the field also butted heads in the Lillie Langtry at Glorious Goodwood last time, notably Waardah (third), Consent (fourth) and Danielle (sixth), though softer ground conditions here could easily see those pieces of the puzzle rearranged in this finish.
Ryan Moore is back on board Cameo for the first time since they teamed up to win the Lingfield Oaks Trial in May, while Prizeland appeared to relish a thorough examination of stamina on soft ground at York and is open to more improvement as she goes up in trip.
With some doubts about who will make the running (could Nyra – whose form this year reads very strongly - get an easy lead?), Prizeland should have the tools to cope. But, with just 7lb separating seven of the nine runners on weight-adjusted ratings, this does look anyone's race.
Night In Vegas well clear on weight-adjusted ratings
Is the sales race changing?
There have always been trainers and owners that have targeted these valuable events, but the extraordinary six-length success of the Aidan O'Brien-trained Phoenix Stakes winner Sun Goddess in last month's Harry's Half Million By Goffs at York began whispers of rules changes.
It's not Sun Goddess's fault that she "only" cost £120,000, so should she really be punished? However, the flip side says that these big pots were all the more exciting for the fact that most were won by yards and owners working on much more constricted budgets.
Any change to the rules should surely be based on heftier penalties for Group race wins than anything else, including how much they cost.
Anyway, Thursday's Weatherbys £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes (13:50) features two from that York contest - Satellite Of Love (fifth) and Secret Society (seventh) - as well as the one-two from a less valuable sales contest at Newmarket.
Connections of Night In Vegas chose wisely when eschewing the Gimcrack in favour of that HQ race, in which he successfully gave 11lb to runner-up Zigazig Ah, with the pair well clear.
He's actually 6lb better off here, tops Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings (from Zigazig Ah) by a chunky 11lb, and the Coventry fifth and Richmond third looks the clear one to beat once more.
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