Andrew Asquith, David Ord and Mike Vince answer the key questions after the six-day entries were released for day two at York next Thursday.
Are there any chinks in Kalpana’s armour ahead of the Yorkshire Oaks?
David Ord: I don’t think so, but she can’t afford to be too far away from her A-Game next Thursday. The glorious King George defeat of Calandagan was her finest hour, a race set up to perfection with a strong early pace. They shouldn’t dawdle at York either with plenty of potential pacemakers and pace angles in there but despite that brilliant victory, Andrew Balding’s charge is only 3lb clear of Minnie Hauk on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and Johanna Walsh is a potential improver among the three-year-old ranks. She should win but I wouldn’t be rushing in to take a short price either and the thriving Moody strikes me as one who could run well at a big price for the excellent Paddy Twomey.
Mike Vince: The only danger to Kalpana is if her heroics at Ascot have left a mark and she hasn't got over them. Hugely impressive last time, and with her only defeat the season by a short head at Royal Ascot, she's a superstar and unless the 2025 version of Minnie Hauk, so far under par this season, turned up, she has Irish Oaks winner Johanna Walsh to beat - and 9lb in weight may not be enough.
Andrew Asquith: Like Dave, I don’t think so, either. She proved better than ever when defeating Calandagan and Benvenuto Cellini in the King George at Ascot last time and she did so in style, her closing sectionals also confirming she was full value for her success. Kalpana is back against her own sex now and, barring Johanna Walsh, who has improved 40lb on Timeform’s scale this year, I don’t see any of these troubling her.
Does Libertango’s defeat in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes leave her vulnerable heading into the Sky Bet Lowther?
AA: Admittedly, following her impressive success at Royal Ascot, she was underwhelming in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes last time, but that was a messy race and I’m not willing to give up on her following that effort. This flatter track may suit her better and, on her Albany form, where she beat subsequent Group 1 winner Sun Goddess in style, she should be able to get back on track and set her up perfectly for the Cheveley Park.
MV: Yes. Billy Loughnane won the Albany with the aid of a Sat Nav finding all the gaps in a messy race, and there did not seem to be any excuse for what happened at Newmarket. The Ger Lyons trained Irish Raider Livenka has to be a player but I would not be giving up on Wathnan's Wild Blossom. Karl Burke's filly was drawn on the wrong side in the Queen Mary where they all finished in a heap and she impressed this pair of eyes when winning the Listed Race at Goodwood last time.
DO: It puts a question mark against her – in as much as she struggled to cope with the tactical set-up at Newmarket, albeit she was beaten by a very smart filly in Senorita Bonita. A bigger field is assured at York and think this will suit better but she’s 11/10 ante-post and there a host of promising fillies in against her. I’m interested in Jolivette at a price who has a hopeless task against the favourite on the formbook, but connections are adamant there’s a really good filly there once she settles in a race and a big field Lowther might just enable her to do that.
Could the drop to Listed class over 1m4f at York finally unlock Venetian Lace’s potential?
MV: Venetian Lace has been in more last chance saloons than I have had hot dinners. She won a Chelmsford Maiden on debut at 12/1 but hasn't won since and has never started favourite in her career, four-year-olds have won this for the last two years and whilst one would love to see a Yorkshire trained winner, and it's about time Charlie Johnston had one at this meeting, this filly's best run this season was that 1000 Guineas third over a mile - and now we are back over 12 furlongs. It's too early to say what they'll run but the Gosden possibles, including Morrophore and the once-raced Without Prejudice, will be of real interest if they turn up.
DO: She’s one to take on, isn’t she? And there’s no better form for York that Lingfield in January….but Morrophore is an interesting runner for the Gosdens and Ryan Moore, who is already booked to ride. She won the Winter Oaks, somehow getting up close home, but has good form on turf too. The winner of a fast ground handicap at Ascot last term, she’s pattern class and still somewhat unexposed. She’ll do for me.
AA: Not for me. Venetian Lace doesn’t convince that she wants this far, her best effort after all coming when third in the 1000 Guineas. There are a few among the entries that have the potential to improve past her, and hopefully John & Thady Gosden run their lightly-raced four-year-old Alshera. She is unbeaten in two starts, but showed marked improvement when giving stacks of weight away to the three-year-olds on her return at Kempton, as expected relishing the step up in trip. This extra furlong can bring about even more improvement and she looks an exciting prospect to me.
Give us an early shout for the day two handicaps please?
DO: I hope he runs in a day two handicap – even though he’s in one on day one – but I’m very sweet on Mirzimaan should he head to the Mews Hotel Ossett EBF Stallions Nursery. It’s early days with the son of Mohaather but there’s a talented colt there and he’s made a good impression on his last two starts. Green on debut, George Boughey’s charge popped up at 20/1 at Newbury next time, running on strongly to draw nicely clear of Minster Boy. He then went to Newcastle and was hard on the bridle two out only to run into traffic problems. He quickened smartly once seeing daylight and only went down by a short-head to Asander. An opening mark of 82 is fair and it looks significant that he holds an entry in the Mill Reef for an operation that doesn’t waste big-race engagements.
AA: Dance In The Storm is a very likeable filly who seems sure to run another big race in the closing fillies’ handicap over seven furlongs. She proved better than ever when overcoming the widest draw at Chester last time, typically going with plenty of enthusiasm and showing a good attitude in the finish, too. A subsequent 4lb rise for that win looks fair given the obstacles she overcame and she ran a good race when third in this race 12 months ago, for all she failed to justify short odds. She looks an improved model now.
MV: The Mile Handicap, run as the Sir Kevin Sinfield 7 In 7 Grand Finale Handicap, (15:00), is always one of the most competitive races of the week and one that David O'Meara has always done well in, his Cerulean Bay second last year. That said the draw will be significant and Port Lynas, the 2024 winner is in it again. Ralph Beckett won it a year ago with Maybe Not under a great Saffie Osborne ride, and his lightly raced Centigrade, with just an all-weather win to his name this season catches the eye as being laid out for a race like this. Only once since 2012 has this been won by a Newmarket trained horse, and Bullet Point was a interesting second in the Shergar Cup last Saturday.
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