John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Three points of interest
Ed Walker going for back-to-back Lowther success
Ed Walker won the Lowther Stakes (13:50) twelve months ago with Celandine who held on to make all the running and get the better of the subsequent Commonwealth Cup winner Time For Sandals by a neck. Celandine, who is back at York this year for Friday’s Nunthorpe Stakes, had quite a bit of experience before the Lowther which was her sixth race.
Walker has a very good chance of winning the Lowther again with Royal Fixation who has a less exposed profile than last year’s winner. She made her debut in a novice at Thirsk during Royal Ascot week, showing plenty of speed to win it in smooth fashion, but also showed her inexperience in the final furlong and when jumping the finishing line. That form looked far removed from what was required in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket the following month, but she showed much improved form to run the unbeaten Albany Stakes winner Venetian Sun very close. Ridden much more patiently than at Thirsk, Royal Fixation kept on well to take second in the last half-furlong, just a neck behind the long odds-on favourite.
That’s the best form on offer here and Royal Fixation is entitled to take another step forward. She was clear of the third, Argentine Tango, who takes her on again here after finishing second in the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood last time, and her main danger could be America Queen who was a twelve-length winner on her debut at Haydock last month.
Four-year-olds have the Edge in Galtres Stakes
The highlight of Thursday’s York card is the Yorkshire Oaks in which Minnie Hauk bids to complete an Oaks treble, after her wins at Epsom and the Curragh, last achieved by her stable’s Snowfall in 2021. But with only three taking her on, she’ll be a very short price to provide Aidan O’Brien with what would be a record-equalling ninth win in the race.
But the following Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes (16:10), also for fillies over the Yorkshire Oaks trip, looks a more competitive affair. Three-year-olds have a very good record in this listed contest, but the challenge from the classic generation this year doesn’t look the strongest and the two four-year-olds in the field are the pair to concentrate on with Rainbows Edge and Charlotte’s Web being well clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings. There was less than a length between them when they met in another listed race at York last month, the Lyric Fillies’ Stakes over an extended ten furlongs. 'Hot Trainers' John & Thady Gosden had the first two, with Sand Gazelle making all the running and Rainbows Edge closing her down in the final furlong to be beaten a neck, with Charlotte’s Web three quarters of a length back in third.
Both fillies are trying a mile and a half for the first time, with Rainbows Edge having won a handicap at Ascot over a mile on her reappearance, but she saw out the longer trip last time and can go one better stepping up in distance again. The royal colours are no strangers to success in the Galtres, either, with Set To Music in 2011 being the late Queen’s final winner of the race.
Storm can make up for narrow Goodwood defeat
All three handicaps on York’s card are typically competitive affairs for the meeting, including the concluding seven-furlong heritage handicap for fillies (17:20). The one who tops the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings is Dance In The Storm for Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy. Jeff Smith’s three-year-old has Ebor meeting success in her blood as she’s a granddaughter of her owner’s 1998 Nunthorpe winner Lochangel whose even better half-sister Lochsong won the same race five years earlier, both of those trained by Andrew Balding’s father Ian.
Dance In The Storm isn’t quite as speedy as her illustrious relatives, having raced only at seven furlongs, but she’s already useful, still lightly raced, and has done well since being fitted with a hood in handicaps. She made a mockery of her opening mark when winning by three lengths at Sandown in June, and after taking a strong hold on her next start there when shaping as though still in good form, she ran her best race at Goodwood last time.
That three-year-old contest, open to both sexes, looks very strong form and Dance In The Storm earned the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag in going down very narrowly to the well-backed favourite Mudbir. Settling better than the time before in the competitive field, Dance In The Storm still had plenty to do after halfway but made good ground from two furlongs out and just failed, beaten a short head. Another big field and anticipated strong pace will help Dance In The Storm to settle again and, against her own sex this time, she’s very much of interest.
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