Those who love European racing have a bit of everything on Saturday, with a plethora of notable meetings across Britain including seven group races and a dash of black-type action also at beautiful Killarney and Baden-Baden to spice things up. York's Knavesmire is the main focus as the Ebor festival reaches its climax, with the £1-million feature race probably the most competitive ever staged. Just eight pounds cover the entire field of 22 runners, with six of them by Frankel (GB) who provided this fixture with one of its all-time great moments seven years ago. The shortest-priced of them is the actual Ebor favourite King's Advice (GB), the Mark Johnston-trained son of the brilliant Queen's Logic (Ire) (Grand Lodge) who has tasted defeat only once in nine starts in 2019 when not partnered by Joe Fanning.
Also in the line-up for Britain's answer to the Melbourne Cup is last year's runner-up Weekender (GB), another son of Frankel (GB) who gives an idea of the standard required in this prize now having finished third in the G1 Irish St Leger in September. Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Khalid Abdullah, summed up the increased profile of the Ebor as it stands in 2019. “He went close last year, but it looks a tougher contest this year,” he said. “It's effectively a group race, but it should be with the money on offer.”
Also on York's card is the newly-promoted G2 City of York S. over seven furlongs, which is graced by the locally-trained star filly Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). John Dance's six-time Group 1 winner was here 12 months ago tackling the mile and a half of the G1 Yorkshire Oaks to no avail and races over the shortest trip she has tackled since runner-up in the G3 Prix du Calvados on her second start as a juvenile. Also saddled with a five-pound penalty as a result of her latest top-level triumph in Deauville's G1 Prix Rothschild, she will have to rock and roll from the front to hold off some speedy rivals. “She's in great form, I couldn't be happier with her,” trainer Karl Burke commented. “I'm really pleased with the draw as well–six of 10 is perfect for her, it'll suit her way of running.”
Laurens' rivals include King Power Racing's Shine So Bright (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who was third in the six-furlong G2 Gimcrack S. here in 2018 before returning to beat the subsequent G3 Jersey S. scorer Space Traveller (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) in an above-average renewal of the Listed European Free H. at this distance at Newmarket Apr. 16. Off since his game effort when sixth in the G1 2000 Guineas trying a mile that stretched him too far at Newmarket May 4, the grey is unexposed in this category. Trainer Andrew Balding said, “He had a setback after the Guineas and he has had a nice break, but this is quite an ask on the back of a long break against race-fit opposition. The horse seems in great form and fast ground on a track like that should be fine. It was a smashing run in the Guineas, but he didn't quite get home. It looked like he was going to finish second until the last half-furlong, when he was just outstayed.”
The day's action kicks off with the G3 Strensall S., where George Strawbridge's long-absent Wissahickon (Tapit) finally gets the quick surface he needs for the Gosden-Dettori combination. Successful in the G3 Winter Derby on Lingfield's Polytrack Feb. 23, the homebred is back on turf for the first time since landing the Cambridgeshire H. over this nine-furlong trip in September. He encounters the aforementioned Space Traveller and Ahmad Alotaibi's June 1 G3 Diomed S. winner and July 13 G2 Summer Mile runner-up Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}), who may have been compromised by the slow ground when seventh in the July 30 G2 Lennox S. over a seven-furlong trip that is possibly too sharp for him.
Away from York, Goodwood hosts the G2 Celebration Mile in which Skardu (GB) (Shamardal) emerges after a break having endured a tough spring campaign. Abdulla Al Khalifa's Apr. 17 G3 Craven S. winner gave his all each time when first in the far-side group and third overall in the 2000 Guineas, fourth in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh May 25 and in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot June 18. In a renewal dominated by the 3-year-olds, Fitri Hay's Aug. 2 G3 Thoroughbred S. winner Duke of Hazzard (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Sullivan Bloodstock and Merriebelle Irish Farm's Beat Le Bon (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who took the prestigious Golden Mile on the same Goodwood card are two that can keep building towards the top.
Richard Hannon said of the latter, “Beat Le Bon is going up in grade into the big pond now, but he likes the track and will like the ground. He is finally maturing now and that is why he is starting to come good. Pat Dobbs has struck up a good relationship with the horse and has helped to get him relaxed early in his races. These are the best horses he has taken on, but I would like to think he is better than a handicapper. He loves it at Goodwood and we know he gets the mile well.”
Goodwood's G3 Prestige S. is a fascinating conundrum, with nine 2-year-old fillies lining up to promote their Classic credentials including Khalid Abdullah's impressive Aug. 1 course-and-distance maiden winner Vividly (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}). Trainer Charlie Hills said, “It seemed to make sense to run her back here after winning over course and distance last time. She has been training well and I'm happy enough with her. She was drawn very wide last time and Kieran [Shoemark] did a good job to get her in front. They think quite a lot of the second, so it was a good run. This trip is fine for her, but she will probably get a mile in the future.” She is taken on by another potentially famous grey sporting Kirsten Rausing's silks in Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a granddaughter of one of the most famous of that colour in Alnabova (GB) (Alzao) who has already proven she can handle unsettling undulations when off the mark on debut over this trip at Epsom July 18.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Waverley Racing and Ralph Beckett's G1 Epsom Oaks fourth Manuela de Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) takes on a more unexposed member of the Classic generation in the impressive July 5 Doncaster maiden winner Promissory (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) from the John Gosden stable in Goodwood's G3 March S. over 14 furlongs. The latter's jockey Rab Havlin said, “I rode her first time behind Terebellum (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who won a Group 2 [the Prix de la Nonette] in France the other day, and I loved her that day. She was very green but learnt plenty and won the next day at Doncaster. The Goodwood race could not have worked out any better. The penny didn't drop until the last furlong and a half at Goodwood, but she didn't half finish off well. Frankie kicked her in the belly three and a half out last time and she just galloped everything into the ground, so the step up in trip won't be a problem. This is only the third run of her life, but she is the least exposed, she has been pleasing everybody at home and is a filly is going the right way.”
Newmarket's Listed Hopeful S. sees the Gredleys' G1 Prix Morny heroine Pretty Pollyanna (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) search for a confidence boost after four gruelling Group 1 attempts, while on Windsor's evening fixture there is the G3 Winter Hill S. The sole 3-year-old in the field is King Power Racing's June 20 G2 Ribblesdale S. fourth Queen Power (Ire) (Shamardal), who reverts to the 10-furlong trip over which she was so impressive in Newbury's Listed Haras de Bouquetot Fillies' Trial May 18.
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