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1.45 - Sky Bet Lowther Stakes (Fillies' Group 2, 6f)
Queen Mary second Sacred is the most likely favourite in the Lowther for William Haggas. The trainer and Tom Marquand are enjoying a rare old time of it this summer and her Royal Ascot second puts her right in the picture.
There are a sleuth of dangers in this 14-runner Group 2 contest looking to thwart the hopes of the Cheveley Park runner and, on that basis, she looks short at 2/1 in the betting.
Umm Kulthum won on debut for Richard Fahey, the 2016 winning trainer, and needs a closer look at, as does £150,000 purchase Bellissime on debut for Kevin Ryan, the latter is a daughter of No Nay Never and gets the nod from Kevin Stott.
Her stablemate HALA HALA HALA finished second in last month's Princess Margaret at Ascot behind the re-opposing Santosha and might be worth chancing to reverse that form and go very close now.
Oisin Murphy was on board there and he briefly went to follow the favourite More Beautiful in making his challenge, only to find the Ballydoyle filly was starting to paddle. Hala Hala Hala switched right to track the eventual winner but was again left to plot her own chart as that rival hung left in the final furlong.
There was under a length between them at the post and, having undergone a wind operation since and with a tongue-tie added here, William Buick's mount is a big player.
Irish raiders Miss Amulet and SUSSEX GARDEN shouldn't be dismissed in haste, with Jessica Harrington's filly having shown pleasing form in two runs and having the benefit of an eye-catching booking here as Ryan Moore takes over.
Selection: Hala Hala Hala @ 6/1
Next Best: Sussex Garden @ 9/1
2.15 - Goffs UK Premier Yearling Stakes (6f)
Happy to take a chance here and speculate we won't see anything quite as devastating as the wide-margin win of Mum's Tipple in this contest a year ago; Richard Hannon's colt spread-eagling the field from a long way out in taking fashion (though of course he has been a disappointment since in Group 1 company).
That being said, it won't come as any shock if DEVIOUS COMPANY has some daylight between himself and the chasing pack at the death.
The son of Fast Company began his career with successive wins over 7f at Haydock in June and last month he improved again to twice finish second in Group 2 company via the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket and behind Battleground in the Vintage at Glorious Goodwood. That most recent effort puts him in the driving seat on ratings for this contest and he's hard to oppose.
Newbury's Super Sprint winner Happy Romance looks well capable of getting this extra distance and represents last year's winning trainer, while at a bigger price there should be more to come from recent Beverley winner BILLIAN stepping up in distance for trainer Bryan Smart and he has valid each-way possibilities on his third start.
Selection: Devious Company @ 2/1
2.45 - Clipper Logistics Handicap (1m)
Top Rank deserves to be just that for the James Tate yard in this valuable handicap. The Dark Angel gelding is a perfect 4-4 in his career so far and returned from 307 days off with a decisive success at Thirsk last month. He had plenty up his sleeve and it's hard to know if the handicapper will have his measure having meted out a 12lb rise subsequently.
A three-week turnaround is something different for him however, given the space that has gone between his previous races. He's also facing the most severe test of his credentials so far. No surprise if he's a future group-race performer in the making but, even allowing for that, this isn't straightforward.
Prompting is making huge strides forward since joining David O'Meara from Olly Murphy and is 3-3 for his new team after victory at Glorious Goodwood last month. A 6lb rise shouldn't prevent him from having a say.
Montatham avenged his Hunt Cup second when taking the scalp of the winner Dark Vision at Sandown last month and is another due respect going up 4lb.
WALHAAN's Ascot second last month came at odds of 100/1 and makes him an interesting contender rated only 2lb higher.
He was anchored last with a furlong or so to run and had to move wide around runners to challenge before finishing to good effect without necessarily being given the office by his rider. He has improved in each of three runs since arriving from France and can get in the finish here if doing so again.
Silver Hunt Cup winner SIR BUSKER is enjoying a productive campaign and narrowly missed out in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket following that Royal Ascot success. From this mark of 107 he ran into the sort of traffic problems only Goodwood can provide in the Golden Mile last month and he, like Walhaan, remains a four-year-old with upside.
3.15 - Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Fillies' And Mares' Group 1, 1m4f)
Two-time winner Enable isn't here this week, sadly, and has graced the York turf for the last time. Her main aim is of course the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in around six weeks instead. There she may run into Yorkshire Oaks successor LOVE; who is impossible to oppose today.
The Galileo filly was a work in progress last season but looks a far more solid proposition now at three. She was much too good in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket and then routed her rivals by nine-lengths when stepped up to this distance in The Oaks at Epsom last month. She may be as a big a threat as anything to Enable and her dreams of an historic third Arc at Longchamp.
Lancashire Oaks scorer Manuela De Vega is a decent performer in her own right, but Ralph Beckett's charge surely cannot concede a chunk of weight to the promising three-year-olds she tackles now?
In the absence of his superstar, John Gosden sends Frankly Darling and Franconia in search of his fifth Yorkshire Oaks success in a dozen years.
Ribblesdale winner Frankly Darling was as short as 7/4 behind Love in the betting at Epsom last month but couldn't live with her, going down close to 10-lengths in third. It's hard to see a turnaround.
Franconia is on the upgrade herself but her Listed win over 1m2½f on this track last month at odds-on saw her working hard enough to see off Magic Wand and that leaves her with lots of work to do given that rival tailed off in The Oaks.
Aplinista is the outsider after her Listed win at Salisbury a week ago where she made all but might outrun a big price, making her worth a look in the betting without Love market.
If anything is to get the jolly working then it might be fellow Irish raider ONE VOICE for Jessica Harrington. She was a fast-finishing second in the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood three weeks ago and remains open to further progress upped to this distance. She's progressing in each of her three-year-old runs this term and might be next-best under the steer of Tom Marquand.
3.45 - Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes (Fillies' And Mares' Listed, 1m4f)
Last year's runner-up Vivionn is back for another crack at this Listed event and could be a key player after running well enough in third behind Manuela De Vega at Haydock in June on her only start since. She can come on from that but any give in the ground goes down as a negative.
GOLD WAND gave Yorkshire Oaks-bound Franconia a scare here last month over shorter and is worth another go at this distance. Her Oaks run at Epsom previously is best consigned to history and it might prove that she's got more to offer in this grade at the distance on a track much more suited to her running style.
Second choice is AWARD SCHEME, William Haggas' filly proving a most reliable sort this summer. She found only front-running Alpinista too good at Salisbury in this grade recently after successive handicap wins at that track and then on the Knavesmire in July. She may go well now returned to York and upped to 1m4f for the first time.
4.15 - Sky Bet EBF Stallions Nursery (7f)
This looks a strong nursery on paper and plenty have claims. Mark Johnston's BASILICATA is one, the Iffraaj filly having shown a really pleasing attitude for a winning nursery bow at Newmarket at the start of this month. She had to be game when challenged for the lead after making most of the running and isn't hard done by in going up 4lb for that success. She is already a winner at this distance and, typically for the Middleham yard, should improve back up in trip and prove a stubborn nut to crack once in front.
Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy team up with BONNYRIGG and he's a colt to be followed. He didn't have an ideal trip on debut at Newmarket in June when finishing second but took a step forward back at HQ a week later to win a 6f maiden. He needed every single yard to get up and will be at home over 7f for a trainer (23 per-cent strike-rate) and jockey (26 per-cent strike-rate) in sublime recent form.
4.50 - British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Handicap (7f)
Dancing Vega failed in her time in the United States but comes into this with renewed hope after a narrow defeat over C&D last month on her first start in a second stint with Ralph Beckett. She is up 4lb though and that's maybe a shade harsh.
With the William Haggas team in such fine fettle a big chance is afforded to handicap debutante LAWAHED, who made short work of the task on third start in novice company at Haydock last month. An opening mark of 85 is within her reach and it could be dangerous to go against her.
ODYSSEY GIRL continues to inch up the ratings in defeat but she's got a win in her. Second in her last two starts at Newmarket; the Richard Spencer-trained filly bumped into a rapidly progressive rival last time in Pretty In Grey (completing a four-timer) and has seen that form boosted by the third home, Indie Angel, winning well at Sandown since. A first-time visor goes on now and she could be the answer in a tough finale.
ODDS FOR DAY ONE OF THE EBOR FESTIVAL AVAILABLE HERE
£10 FREE BET EBOR FESTIVAL DAY TWO OFFER
Place a non in-play single bet of £/€10+ (£/€10+ E/W) on the Yearling Stakes and get a £/€10 free bet if your selection loses and Devious Company wins the race.
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ODDS ARE CORRECT AS OF 18/8/2020 HOWEVER ARE SUBJECT TO FLUCTUATIONS
