John Ingles of Timeform provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Three points of interest
Charlie Appleby can win July Stakes for first time
All six two-year-old colts in the July Stakes (14:25) are on the up, including Do Or Do Not who belied his odds of 80/1 when three lengths second to Aidan O’Brien’s convincing three-length winner of the Coventry Stakes, Gstaad, at Royal Ascot three weeks ago. Do Or Do Not was the sole maiden in the Coventry line-up and while he clearly has the ability to win races, he may well find he has to wait a bit longer to open his account.
O’Brien is represented here by Brussels who will be bidding to follow up stablemate Whistlejacket’s success in this contest twelve months ago. Whistlejacket had been the beaten favourite in the Norfolk Stakes beforehand, but Brussels has a different profile as he won a maiden at the Curragh on his debut in May and looks sure to improve from that.
Topping the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and the one they all have to beat, though, is Maximized, winner of both his starts for Charlie Appleby who has yet to win the July Stakes. Godolphin have won the race before, but not since City On A Hill and Noverre won back-to-back renewals in 1999 and 2000 when Godolphin’s two-year-olds were all trained in France by David Loder. After beating better-fancied stablemate Time To Turn in a novice at Haydock on his debut, Maximized followed up in a competitive renewal of the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom when beating the subsequent Windsor Castle Stakes winner Havana Hurricane by a length and a half with a bit in hand. He earned the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag for that performance and can land the hat-trick.
Fast-improving Tawasol can complete hat-trick
There are just two handicaps on Newmarket’s card, with the heritage handicap for three-year-olds over six furlongs (15:00) looking a cracking contest. No fewer than seven in the field of 18 won last time out and a couple of those are seeking hat-tricks. Three of the runners earned the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag last time, including Zayer who finished well for fourth in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap at Royal Ascot over five furlongs, and Double Rush who looks weighted to turn the tables on one of the hat-trick seekers, Hucklebrook, after finishing third behind that rival in a similar event at York last time.
They are among several whom a good case can be made for, but preference is for the other ‘Horse In Focus’, Tawasol, who has won his last two starts for Simon & Ed Crisford. After two runs last year, the son of Havana Grey had a low-key start to his three-year-old campaign in the spring, beaten over seven furlongs at Catterick before dropping back in trip and making all to land the odds in a maiden at Brighton. But he was clearly improving fast and made a mockery of his opening handicap mark at Doncaster in May.
Making all again, Tawasol blitzed his rivals from the front, travelling well and quickening clear over a furlong out to win impressively by four lengths in the manner of a sprinter destined for better things. The handicapper has put him up 11 lb for that success, but with the ‘p’ on his rating indicating he has the potential to do better again, Tawasol has leading claims in his hat-trick bid following a break.
Good opportunity for Ghostwriter in Princess of Wales’s
Ghostwriter won all three of his starts as a two-year-old for Clive Cox and was a decisive winner of the Royal Lodge Stakes on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on his final outing that season. He has been winless since, however, but the Princess of Wales’s Stakes (15:35) provides him with his best chance of a winning opportunity since his two-year-old days.
Ghostwriter deserves to get his head back in front as he ran some fine races last season when campaigned at the highest level all year. That included finishing fourth in two classics, the 2000 Guineas and Prix du Jockey Club, and he then twice finished third behind Derby winner City of Troy, in the Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International.
Ghostwriter’s latest start, in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, was not only a drop in grade, at least on paper – winner Rebel’s Romance is a genuine Group 1 performer – but also his first try at a mile and a half. Whilst no threat to the high-class winner, Ghostwriter ran close to his best at the new trip and stayed on inside the final furlong for third, just over a length in front of Palladium who looks his main danger here. That was also Ghostwriter’s first run in the colours of new owners Amo Racing who had paid £2 million for him at the London Sale earlier that week. 5 lb clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, he’s capable of getting a little of that back here.
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