The Mandarin’s Ebor Festival Racecard for Thursday 22nd August 2024

The Mandarin’s Ebor Festival Racecard for Thursday 22nd August

Sky Bet Lowther Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies) 1.50
Leovanni
It’s hard to get away from the appeal of Karl Burke’s Leovanni for Thursday’s opener. With the Spigot Lodge handler having his best season ever, including Classic glory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas with Fallen Angel, all of his sprinters have to be noted, so Leovanni’s impressive win in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot looks a strong piece of form, although that Group 2 win does attract a 3lb penalty. Aidan O’Brien’s Churchill filly, Heavens Gate, is likely to be the one to keep Leovanni up to her work, but this pair are drawn out wide in Stalls 7 & 8, alongside Karl Burke’s second string, Miss Lamai, so a tactical edge can fall to Leovanni. Fascinating

Harry’s Half Million By Goffs Premier Yearling Stakes 2.25
Arizona Blaze (nap)
On our watchlist from the start of this season, Adrian Murray’s Sergei Prokofiev colt has done nothing wrong in a busy campaign, with two wins at The Curragh already in the book. Since winning the Group 3 Marble Hill at Headquarters, Arizona Blaze has been highly tried, and his third in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes back at base camp is the standout piece of form here. That said, it’s a competitive enough line-up, with Adrian Nicholls’s Maw Lam lining up on an attractive mark, while Richard Hannon’s An Outlaw’s Grace is one going the right way, and has Ryan Moore booked for the trip. Arizona Blaze to score from a good draw in Stall 4, with Maw Lam the danger

Clipper Handicap (Heritage Handicap) 3.00
New Image
David O’Meara sends out a whole platoon for this valuable handicap, but New Image is the Squadron Leader with Oisin Murphy booked for the trip. Better than ever when landing the Shergar Cup at Ascot, with a brilliantly timed run by Hayley Turner, that’s earned this Frankel gelding a 6lb penalty, but there’s no doubting his current form. Karl Burke’s Thunder Run and Holloway Boy both make the shortlist, as does Ed Bethell’s James McHenry and Andrew Balding’s Aragon Castle. New Image and Thunder Run to fight it out, with New Image edging it under Oisin Murphy

Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks (Group 1) (Fillies & Mares) 3.35
Queen Of The Pride (nb)
It could pay to side with John & Thady Gosdens’ Queen Of The Pride as she looks to make it a hat-trick for the season. Stepping up from her win in the Group 3 Pinnacle Stakes at Haydock Park back in June, she returned to the Merseyside track to land the Lancashire Oaks with a bit to spare, with Oisin Murphy back in the saddle. Stablemate Emily Upjohn officially holds the higher rating, but Queen Of The Pride has more scope, and can be the one to take on the smart Content from Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard. Content, a well bred filly from supersire Galileo, got to within three quarters of a length of Irish Oaks winner, You Got To Me last time, but with a clearer passage 2 furlongs out might have taken that Classic prize. You Got To Me lines up again, so with Group One Classic success in the book has to be feared, but Queen Of The Pride gets the nudge

British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes (Listed) (Fillies & Mares) 4.10
Karmology
There’s sure to be plenty of support for clear ante-post favourite, Sea Just In Time, for this Listed contest, but we’ll buck that trend and go for Karl Burke’s Karmology. It is a drop in grade for William Haggas’s Sea Just In Time, who has a Group 1 entry in the diary for Ascot’s Champions’ Day meeting, but it’s horses for courses here as Karmology returns to the Knavesmire for her third consecutive race, having won a Class 4 before a fine second in a Listed contest last month. Karmology taken to win up in trip, with Rae Guest’s Divina Grace the each-way angle

sensory-junction.co.uk Autism Awareness EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap 4.45
Age Of Gold
Charlie Appleby’s Frankel colt looked pretty professional on his debut under rules at Yarmouth, winning with a bit in hand in a decent Novice Stakes. Sent straight into the Chesham Stakes at Ascot’s Royal meeting, where no-one was going to get near the exciting Bedtime Story, Age Of Gold finished that Listed race well, and has since been gelded. Into a Nursery now, so has to be high on the shortlist, with Ralph Beckett’s Original Outlaw likely to make a race of it

British EBF Fillies’ Handicap (Heritage Handicap) 5.20
Sunfall
A pretty hot handicap for the closer, but William Haggas’s Sunfall makes enough appeal to get our vote. This Twilight Son filly has got a bit about her when push comes to shove, including some fine efforts at Chester and Haydock Park last time out, and this Handicap mark looks to be lenient. There is a whole host of dangers though, not least Ed Bethell’s Coppull Hall Lane and Elim, Ed Walker’s Key To Cotai and Queen’s Reign, but Sunfall does look super each-way value in this big field

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