We take a look at the six-day entries for day two of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival at York next Thursday.
Bluestocking remains in Yorkshire Oaks contention
Ralph Beckett has a big decision to make heading into the Sky Bet Ebor Festival with his Bluestocking entered in two of the feature Group 1 contests next week.
The King George runner-up was left in the Juddmonte International on Wednesday, a race sponsored by her owners, but she heads the betting for the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks over a quarter of a mile further next Thursday.
Either way, the daughter of Camelot has improved to such an extent at four that she will be considered a major player in either race, even though her odds will be much shorter in the fillies' and mares' contest.
She was only fourth in the Yorkshire Oaks last season, but she proved her effectiveness at York when slamming Free Wind by six lengths in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes on the Knavesmire in May.
The four-year-old could be the star attraction at York next Thursday, but if Beckett does point her at the Juddmonte International he still has Irish Oaks winner You Got To Me in the Yorkshire Oaks.
John & Thady Gosden are double-handed at the six-day entry stage, as well, with Queen Of The Pride and Emily Upjohn, while Aidan O’Brien has two three-year-olds in the race in Content and Port Fairy.
Dermot Weld has never won the Yorkshire Oaks but he has the Aga Khan’s Sumiha as a contender this year after her win in the Munster Oaks at Cork back in mid-June.
It looks all about Bluestocking at this stage, though, and whether she is given the green light for the Juddmonte International or this race, where she would be one of the shortest-priced favourites of the week.
Burke has strong Lowther hand again
Karl Burke has won the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes twice in the last five years with Living In The Past and Swingalong and he could send a three-strong team to this year’s renewal.
Queen Mary Stakes winner Leovanni heads the trio, the daughter of Kodi Bear a perfect two from two having not raced since Royal Ascot, and she could step up in trip to six furlongs for the first time.
Stablemate Miss Lamai, fourth in the Queen Mary behind Leovanni, could also head to York on the back of a win in a Listed event at Naas on July 24 where she justified odds-on favouritism in good style.
And Burke has outsider Unspoken Love, too, a filly who won at Musselburgh and Pontefract before she was fourth in a Listed race at La Teste De Buch last time out. Owned by Clipper Logistics, Burke trained Dorothy Lawrence to finish fourth at 66/1 in last year’s Lowther for the same owners, so you wouldn’t be quick to draw a line through her, either.
Just In Time for Haggas
William Haggas will be taking a big team up to his beloved York next week and plenty of punters will likely be putting their faith in his Sea Just In Time in the Listed British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes next Thursday.
The daughter of Sea The Stars burst onto the scene with a debut win at Newmarket on Guineas weekend after which Timeform declared that she “will stay 1½m and is a very exciting prospect, open to significant improvement and sure to make an impact at a higher level.”
Things didn’t work out for her at Goodwood five weeks later when she was sixth of seven when sent off at 1/2 for a 10-furlong Listed race, as she missed the break in a steadily-run race, but she got back on track last time in a Kempton novice on the polytrack.
Entered in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the G1 Fillies & Mares at Ascot on Champions Day, it seems very likely we haven’t seen the best of this highly-regarded filly just yet.
More from Sporting Life
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.