Timeform highlight their best bets on Saturday in the form of a ratings choice, a big improver and a Flag to note.
Let Life Happen shaped promisingly at long odds when filling the runner-up spot on her debut at Kempton last month, clearly learning all the while.
Settled in mid-division early on having been slowly into stride, she was shaken up in the straight and made steady inroads on the front-running winner under a hands-and-heels ride. She was beaten just three quarters of a length at the line and still appeared to have a bit left in the locker.
That form is the best on offer in this fillies' maiden and the large 'P' attached to her Timeform rating denotes that she is likely to make significant progress with the run under her belt.
Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, who has his team in rude health (75% of horses running to form), Let Life Happen is fancied to make the most of a good opportunity to get off the mark at the second attempt.
Emily Upjohn looked a much-improved filly after eight months off when easily winning the Coronation Cup at Epsom last time. The most impressive aspect of her performance was the manner in which she quickened to lead over two furlongs out, just needing to be kept up to her work from there to beat last year's Irish Derby winner Westover by a length and three-quarters.
Most notably, the overall time was 2.63 seconds quicker than the Oaks run over the same course and distance later on the card, with virtually all of that difference coming in the final three and a half furlongs to highlight that the winner demonstrated a rare turn of foot.
It was every inch a high-class performance and Emily Upjohn advanced her Timeform master rating to 128 which identifies her as very much the one to beat here as she seeks the third Group One success of her career.
For context, Emily Upjohn is 3 lb clear of her main form rival, Paddington, on weight-adjusted figures, while the speed she showed at Epsom suggests the drop back to a mile and a quarter won’t be an issue, either.
The Timeform Flag
Flags: Timeform Top Rated, Hot Trainer
La Yakel was highly progressive in five starts as a three-year-old having been unraced at two, putting up his best effort when defying a BHA mark of 87 in a valuable handicap over a mile and a half at Ascot in September, swooping through from off the pace to lead inside the final 100 yards.
The official winning margin was just half a length, but he was arguably value for extra having come from further back than the pair he pulled clear with, those in behind featuring a whole host of useful or better types from powerful yards.
Though unable to defy a 5 lb rise when sent off favourite at Newmarket the following month, La Yakel was hardly disgraced in coming home fourth of the 16 runners in another really strong-looking handicap, doing more than enough to confirm earlier impressions that he’ll do better again as a four-year-old.
This will be a belated reappearance, but La Yakel couldn't be in better hands with the in-form William Haggas (72% of horses running to form) and is worth a chance to pick up where he left off after nine months on the sidelines.
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