13:15 Weatherbys British EBF Maiden Stakes – 7f
Just like the first race on day one, just three of this field have any prior public experience. Of that trio, there was plenty of promise in the debut by HOPE YOU CAN RUN at Doncaster (7f, good to firm) last month.
Always thereabouts, he took to his job well that day and found just one too good. Like most Johnston-trained runners, he’ll come on for the run and it will be a surprise if he doesn’t go very close again.
Flying Honours looks an interesting newcomer. A Sea The Stars colt, he represents Godolphin and is trained by Charlie Appleby, who has won three of the last six runnings of this race. A brother to a staying winner in France, Snow Tempest, his dam won from 1m1f-1m3½f and this 7f trip should be an ideal starting point.
He probably looks the pick of the Godolphin/Appleby pair, Desert Order perhaps being more one for next year.
The Andrew Balding-trained Leadman is the other newcomer of significant interest. His brother Baseman is a 1m winner and his half-brother Georgeville won at around 1m2f and is an even better performer. His dam is also a Group 3 winner at around today’s trip and it would be no surprise to see this Kingman colt put up a big debut effort.
13:50 bet365 Handicap (Heritage Handicap) – 1m2f
There’s no doubt that NEW LONDON was a disappointment in the Group 3 Chester Vase but he went into that 2-2 and perhaps it was more about Ryan Moore burgling the race on Changingoftheguard, as the Charlie Appleby-trained New London was not far off the level of his previous winning performance.
He’s a Group horse dropping back into a handicap here and I expect him to kick on again and show his class with a win, especially dropping back to a trip over which he is already proven.
Yonafis completed a hat-trick at around a mile on the all weather and was 22/1 for the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot, when he was eighth of 30, beaten over 4l. He’s by Golden Horn, so this step up to 1m2f ought to suit and he is potentially well handicapped from a mark of 92.
Charlie Appleby second string Natural World made good progress from his debut win at Newbury to his second run, in Listed company at Lingfield in May. He pulled far too hard when last of six in a Goodwood Listed contest later that month and, now gelded, he may be able to kick on again. He looks a potential player.
Reelemin is another with claims, while at longer prices, 20/1 shot Schmilsson looks interesting, reverting back to the trip over which he won a Bath maiden. He looks worth an each-way interest.
14:25 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes (Sponsored By bet365) (Group 2) – 6f
MAYLANDSEA looked potentially useful when winning on debut at Nottingham and was pitched straight in at Group 2 level in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot (5f, good to firm). A 28/1 chance there, she may have been no match for the winner Dramatised, but she still made a huge improvement in finishing second.
The step up in trip offers further possibilities for improvement and she looks a huge player here.
Lezoo is 2-2 and looks a serious challenger. Ralph Beckett’s filly scored on debut at Bath (5f, good) and improved significantly when a ready winner of the Listed Empress Fillies’ Stakes over this C&D last month.
Already proven over this trip as a result, she is not taken on lightly.
Mawj was a debut winner on the Rowley Course (6f, good to firm) in May and made some improvement on that when under 2l second in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, where she showed a good attitude.
She hasn’t achieved what the aforementioned pair have just yet but there is still time for her to do so and she should again be very competitive.
The other trio need significant improvement to win a race like this.
15:00 bet365 Trophy (Heritage Handicap) – 1m6f
Candleford is put in at just 10/3 by most firms here and on the back of his 6l Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes win at Royal Ascot, he looks to have a huge chance. He’s already just 10/1 for the Ebor, so if you fancy him to double up, I’d be getting on before this race.
Up 13lb for that Royal Ascot success, he still looks well treated on the proviso that he can produce something similar. He’ll be tough to beat but the bookies are not giving anything away at these prices.
Contact finished just over 7l behind him in third that day and has a 13lb pull for that, which can’t be taken lightly. He’d arrived at Royal Ascot on the back of wins at Newmarket (Rowley Course) and Haydock and had also looked one of the better treated Duke Of Edinburgh runners until being put in his place.
Midnights Legacy has some good 1m4f to his name. He’s been placed over this trip and is unexposed over it, so makes some appeal.
TRAWLERMAN bombed out in the Duke Of Edinburgh, when one of the joint favourites but he is better than that and, on the evidence of his Chelmsford win in April, could be thrown in here from a mark of 98, provided you can forgive him his Royal Ascot run. He is more than twice the price of the favourite and can be backed each-way.
The 132-rated hurdler Zoffee has joined Hugo Palmer from Philip Hobbs for this Flat campaign and has been improving, winning his last two over 1m6f (good) at Carlisle and most recently, an extended 2m on Newcastle’s Tapeta, in the Northumberland Plate.
He’s up 6lb for that, which can only be expected, but there could be more to come and he looks sure to get the strong pace he’ll need here.
Others with claims include Soapy Stevens, Spirit Mixer and Dubai Welcome.
15:35 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes (Group 1) (Fillies & Mares) – 1m
Of all the races on the three days, this one really ought to be a procession.
The biggest question over INSPIRAL in recent days appeared to be whether or not Frankie Dettori would be allowed to ride the Frankel filly.
With the Gosden-Dettori spat apparently all sorted, the Italian ace is back on board and this should be an exercise canter for a filly who has carried all before her thus far.
Unbeaten at two, culminating in a her Group 1 Fillies’ Mile success on the neighbouring Rowley Mile, she trounced her field in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, on last month’s delayed return to action.
It will be some shock if anything is good enough to lower her colours here.
She’ll be very short, so if you’re looking to forecast her with something, my idea of the runner-up is Prosperous Voyage, who was second to her in that Fillies’ Mile last year.
16:10 Arioneo Handicap – 7f
Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Nizaaka has been put in as the ‘jolly’ for this race after a C&D success last month, when the front pair were 2l clear of the field.
A 5lb rise looks fair, she has the profile of a steady improver and she’d have to be considered a serious player again at this 0-90 level.
Dashing Dick is rated 1lb inferior to the favourite and has yet to win at this level, but his 7f Leicester success (good to soft) from April, and his close second back over that C&D (good to firm) last month both suggest that he can have a big say at a double-figure price. He’s a best-priced 11/1 at the moment and looks a bit of each-way value.
LORD RAPSCCALLION is another worth considering. He’s up 1lb for going close in a competitive Class 2 event here over C&D recently. He’ll surely appreciate a slight drop in grade and he might just be the answer at 6/1, representing the Stuart Williams team, one that is in pretty good form at present.
16:45 Moet & Chandon Handicap – 5f
This looks tough! 14 face the starter in the ‘lucky last’ on day two and they go 6/1 the field.
There was plenty to like about the narrow win by Ancient Times at Musselburgh last time out, beating an in-form rival in doing so. He is now 4-12 and has won both starts since reverting to 5f, improving in the process. A 5lb rise will ask more questions but Hayley Turner is back on board, she knows him well and the partnership should go very close.
Navello is typical of sprinters who have their day but also find it tricky to go close every time. He has put up one good run followed by a less impressive one in turn this season. He did the job well at Chester last time, recording a career-best in the process. However, whether he can find that level again now 3lb higher, there has to be at least some doubt.
Tees Spirit has already probably had his big race for the season when winning at Epsom on Derby Day, although he matched that effort in a valuable handicap at the Curragh last time, when sixth of 18.
He returns to these shores 6lb higher than that Epsom success and needing improvement to add this to his CV.
There are several other last-time winners who could fancy their chances too but I’m taking a 16/1 shot to come good again this time.
NIGHT ON EARTH has the form to win this race, despite being well beaten on his last three starts. Those all came in better races than this, however. He’s not dropped to a mark of 91 and in grade, he has a new headgear combination on and he’s also drawn towards the stands rail, which is no bad thing. He looks a sporting bet at a price and you can get on each-way to three or maybe even four places if you shop around.
