13th July

Clues for the Sky Bet Lowther

The Group Two Duchess of Cambridge winner, Arabian Dusk, looks keen to take her Newmarket form up to York. Staying on well ahead of better priced rivals, her 12-1 victory, will recoup at least a slice of the 525,000gns (£551k) she cost at a Breeze-Up sale earlier this year..

With the Sky Bet Lowther being the richest contest in Britain for juvenile fillies, it is no surprise that a rematch will be on the cards, come Thursday 22 August, with the top eight finishers on the July Course all holding entries for the Knavesmire..

Speaking after her latest win, co-trainer, Ed Crisford said, “I’m not sure the Guineas will be the right trip for her but she certainly wasn’t stopping at the end of the race today. In fact, she was looking for a bit of company and I think she would have gone again if she had been challenged in the last 50 yards. I think we’ll stick to this [six-furlong] trip for the moment and maybe look at the Lowther Stakes at York .”

1st July

William Haggas considering two York targets for Economics, Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes winner

Economics, winner of the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes, could head back to York for his next two starts.

The three-year-old, owned by Isa Salman Al Khalifa, is back in full training and while the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville and Leoparadstown's Irish Champion Stakes is one route connections are considering, so is a return to the Knavesmire.

Speaking on Nick Luck’s Daily Podcast, trainer William Haggas said: As for a potential route to the York Group One, Haggas added: “The obvious fit is the Sky Bet York Stakes on 27th July but if we don’t want to go there we’ll go for the Juddmonte and he can do a racecourse gallop, but we have 86 miles of gallops in Newmarket when they’re all open and if we can’t train them here then it’s a poor do. I think just going to get the freshness out of him would do him some good.

“So it's York-York or Deauville-Ireland. That's how you think but we’ve got lots to discuss and I haven’t discussed it with anyone until now."

1st July

 

Washington aiming to hit Nunthorpe Heights

Washington Heights will drop back to five furlongs this summer and attempt the summit of the sprinting ranks in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes.

A consistent performer in handicap company last season before striking at Listed level in Sweden, he has taken his form to the next level this term, making a winning return in Newmarket’s Abernat Stakes.

Connections have now opted to revert to the minimum distance with the Kevin Ryan-trained speedster – a decision that was made even easier due to the impressive nature of stablemate Inisherin’s victory over six furlongs in the Commonwealth Cup.

He will now be freshened up for the Ebor meeting, where he will compete at the highest level once again in the Knavesmire’s sprint feature.

Speaking to Sporting Life trainer Kevin Ryan said ““He’s just showing increasing speed now and he showed us that in the Duke of York,” said Cosmo Charlton, racing manager for owners Hambleton Racing.

“We always thought he might end up being a five-furlong horse and it did concern us that stiff six furlongs at Ascot. We decided to hold onto him a bit at Ascot and maybe he was a touch keen with doing that as well, he just ran out of gas.

“Tom (Eaves, jockey) got off and said he thought he had won it two furlongs out and it was just a case of if he got home, but he has not got home. He got off and said back to five, so it’s straight to the Nunthorpe.

“He’s ran three times at York and been narrowly beaten each time, so I would be hopeful he bounces back in that race. 

5th July

Ponntos targeting the Coolmore Nunthorpe 

Ponntos, the brilliant Czech sprinter, is targeting a raid on two major UK races in the Summer. The 6-year-old, who has won on his last three outings culminating in a Group 2 at Chantilly, is likely to run in the Qatar King George Stakes at Goodwood and the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes on the Friday of the Ebor Festival.

Ponntos is likely to be joined by another international traveller Asfoora from Australia, who has already tasted Group 1 success in the UK when winning the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot.

10th July

Queen Of The Pride Likely to Attempt Lancashire/Yorkshire Oaks Double

The regally bred Queen Of The Pride is all set to attempt to step up in company in the Group 1 Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks at the Ebor Festival in August. The filly has shown progressive form throughout the current season culminating in victory in the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks last time out.

She is very likely to be joined by the horse she beat at Haydock, Tiffany, whose trainer won the 2022 Yorkshire Oaks with Alpinista who subsequently was victorious in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Align The Stars another winner at the Haydock meeting is also likely to be seen at the Ebor Festival with the original plan of the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap still a possibility but he has also been given entries in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur and the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup for his local owner.