All Gathered for a Big Saturday

Saturday's action sees the winding-up of York's Ebor Festival and a trio of exciting juvenile races at The Curragh and Goodwood, with the Knavesmire venue boasting the most valuable prize in the G2 City of York Stakes. Cheveley Park Stud's TDN Rising Star Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) is the star attraction in the seven-furlong feature and it is fair to say that he has turned around his fortunes this term with dynamic successes in the G1 Lockinge Stakes and G2 Lennox Stakes. He may have achieved more when winning under a five-pound penalty in the latter contest at Goodwood last month than when upstaging Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in Newbury's Lockinge in May and currently rates as the best in this niche category as a result.

“He has no group 1 penalty to carry, which is obviously an advantage and he ran very well in this race last year when he was second to Kinross,” the Stud's managing director Chris Richardson said. “I think Goodwood showed seven furlongs suits him better than the stiff mile at Ascot, where he ran very well in the Queen Anne but probably didn't quite get home. It's a competitive race, as ever, but if he can produce his last run, hopefully he'll be right there.”

The aforementioned Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) attempts a historic treble in this, having won the last two renewals, but Marc Chan's beloved veteran has dipped in form this term. He has a four-year experience edge over Lake Forest (GB) (No Nay Never), who was successful in the G2 Gimcrack Stakes here 12 months ago and runner-up in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June, but Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's 3-year-old has the benefit of youth as he moves up in trip.

Trainer William Haggas is expecting the distance to suit. “He's in really good form and this is the race we want to have a go at, but he doesn't want any cut in the ground,” he said. “He wants really quick ground and hopefully it will be fast enough on Saturday. We're not sure about the trip, there's enough on the dam's side of his pedigree to say he wants the trip. He's never been better than at the line both times this year over six, so it could be that he is better over seven maybe, but we will see.”

Lots To See…

It is an action-packed afternoon everywhere and York's card also includes the G3 Strensall Stakes, which hosts Jeff Smith's G1 Nassau Stakes runner-up See The Fire (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) as she drops in class. While Goodwood offers an uninspiring G2 Celebration Mile, it represents an ideal opportunity for Juddmonte's G3 Thoroughbred Stakes winner Lead Artist (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) to complete the next stage of his career on paper at least. The Sussex track's G3 Prestige Fillies' Stakes is of far greater interest, being the stage for Cheveley Park Stud's TDN Rising Star Formal (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained daughter of the G1 Falmouth Stakes winner Veracious (GB) (Frankel {GB}) looked special on her winning debut at Newbury last month and could bring an end to a 30-year drought in this seven-furlong juvenile fillies' prize for Freemason Lodge since the stable's last winner Pure Grain (GB) (Polish Precedent). Juddmonte's Newmarket debut winner Tabiti (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is another fascinating candidate from the Ralph Beckett stable replete with juvenile talent in 2024.

At The Curragh, the G2 Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity Stakes has a quartet engaged and is the epitome of what they term “small but select”, with none easily discounted. Ballydoyle's G2 Railway Stakes winner Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) has the most kudos, but his Galway maiden-winning stablemate and TDN Rising Star Rock Of Cashel (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is an interesting race buddy. They are taken on by the Silverton Hill Partnership's G3 Tyros Stakes winner Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and the Joseph O'Brien-trained Leopardstown maiden scorer Scorthy Champ (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}).

If the Futurity is open, the G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes is the exact opposite with Ballydoyle's division leader Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) scaring off all meaningful outside competition. At this stage, she could be joined by the stable's impressive Galway maiden winner and fellow TDN Rising Star Bubbling (Ire) (No Nay Never), but very little else after her ultra-dominant performance in the Listed Chesham Stakes and imposing follow-up in the G3 Silver Flash Stakes. In what should amount to an individual time trial, the clock will tell us more than the formbook as we continue to assess the raw material of the brilliant TDN Rising Star.