Andrew Balding has described Item (Frankel) as “a horse we've always had huge belief in” ahead of next week's G1 Juddmonte International at York, with the unexposed colt now a general 5-1 chance to lower the colours of Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) and Constitution River (Wootton Bassett) in a mouthwatering clash.
Unbeaten in two previous starts over the International course and distance, Item first won May's G2 Dante Stakes, before bouncing back from a below-par effort in the Derby to rediscover the winning thread in the G2 York Stakes last time.
Whilst acknowledging the scale of the task faced by Item in his quest for a first top-level success at York, Balding is excited to find out where he stands in the pecking order for owners Juddmonte, who will be seeking a third win in the race they have sponsored since 1989, having previously been successful with Twice Over in 2011 and Item's sire, Frankel, the following year.
“He's a horse we've always had huge belief in,” Balding said of the three-year-old. “Bar Epsom, Derby day, on which the ground was not to his liking, he's got a flawless record. He's won his other four starts and was quite impressive last time at York, given that the race probably wasn't run ideally to suit him.
“We're there with the best older horse in Europe and probably the best three-year-old in Europe. It's no easy task, but it would be great to go there and see how he can pitch in against those two.”
On course to join Item on the trip north is fellow Juddmonte-owned star Kalpana (Study Of Man), who gained the biggest success of her career to date in last month's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
The five-year-old is likely to be a warm order for the G1 Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks, the feature race on the second day of York's Ebor Festival.
“I'm very pleased with how she's moving and how her appetite has been since Ascot,” said Balding. “She's got a big piece of work to do prior to confirming that we're going to York. But, as long as that goes well, we're really looking forward to it.”
Elsewhere at the meeting, Balding is responsible for three possible runners in the G1 Sky Bet City Of York Stakes, including the consistent mare Flora Of Bermuda (Dark Angel) and defending champion Never So Brave (No Nay Never).
He added, “I think the one that would certainly go would be Flora Of Bermuda, who seems to be effective on any ground. She won the [G3] Oak Tree [Stakes] well, showing that she stays seven furlongs. She's won twice at York before over six furlongs and it looks the perfect spot for her, really. She's not won a Group 1 yet, but she's been placed in a couple.
“Never So Brave has been left in the [G2] Hungerford [Stakes] at Newbury on Saturday and we'll have that as an option as well. I feel he's just coming back to where he was this time last year. I thought he ran well in the Sussex Stakes.
“Marvelman, I think he's a very smart horse, but he's better with give in the ground. His participation would depend on the going.”
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