Can Golden Lyra continue recent sea of yellow success in the Galtres?

Thursday: 4.10 York
British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes (Listed) (Fillies & Mares) | 1m4f | 3yo+ | ITV/RTV

Punters can spend hours and hours analysing form in an attempt to make the game pay, but why bother? The easiest way to make money this season has been to simply back any horse trained by William Haggas and owned by Sunderland Holding Inc. It's a passport to profit.

My Oberon, My Prospero, My Astra, Sea Silk Road and Sea La Rosa have starred for the owner-and-trainer partnership, which is operating at a 45 per cent strike-rate (18-40) in the calendar year. A £1 bet on all of their runners this campaign has yielded a profit of £16.02.

Sea The Stars is the key to their success. The top-class racehorse-turned-super sire was bred by Sunderland Holding and he appears in the pedigree of all the aforementioned horses who have won a race for the owner in 2022. Will Golden Lyra be the next off the production line?

Sea The Stars is a stamina influence and, if we only include horses who have run over further than a mile and three furlongs for Haggas and Sunderland Holding this season, their record becomes an even more remarkable six wins from nine with the three losers finishing second.

Golden Lyra was one of those winners when she won a 1m4f novice at Kempton last month at odds of 2-13. She was evidently entitled to win that as easily as she did and a Racing Post Rating of 77 was 25lb below her best, but it is what might come that's exciting.

That was only Golden Lyra's first run over this far and, if her bloodlines are anything to go by, she should be capable of bettering her current career-best of 102 over this sort of distance.

Haggas won this race twice in a row in 2013 and 2014, and only John Gosden can match that recent record. He won it in 2015 and 2018 and saddles the Frankie Dettori-ridden Mimikyu.

Dettori rode both of those winners, and Mimikyu sets the standard on RPRs along with Quenelle D'Or, with the pair having 4lb in hand of Golden Lyra on the adjusted figures.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

Gosden girls bidding to boost stable record

The Gosdens are doubly represented in a race that last went the way of Clarehaven in 2018 when subsequent St Leger second Lah Ti Dar landed the spoils.

Although neither are engaged in a Classic this time, Mimikyu holds an entry in the Group 1 Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot in October that her sister Journey won in 2016.

Stablemate Judith, who is one of a number the yard now trains for Normandie Stud, looked ripe for the step up to this trip when she finished fourth over 1m2½f at the track last time.

John Gosden: trainer has won this twice in the last seven yearsCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The daughter of Almanzor is bred to stay as she is from the family of Samuel who Gosden snr trained to win the Doncaster Cup in 2010.

John Gosden said: "Mimikyu will be suited by the trip and is an improving filly. She won a handicap in good style at Newmarket last time and deserves to have a crack at some black type. Judith will appreciate the step up to a mile and a half and has pleased us in her work."

What they say

William Knight, trainer of Pearl Beach
She ran well in a Listed race at York last time to finish third and should appreciate this step up in trip. She's a big outsider, but could run a massive race.

William Haggas, trainer of Golden Lyra
She enjoyed the step up to this trip on the all-weather last time. She'd be better with some cut in the ground but deserves a shot at a race like this.

Ralph Beckett, trainer of Haskoy, Luna Dorado and Star Fortress
Haskoy was impressive on her debut on the all-weather but may have a task on her hands first time on turf. We've been waiting for some ground for Luna Dorado so hopefully they get some more rain up there. Star Fortress posted a good effort last time on only her third start so is open to more improvement.

Jessica Harrington, trainer of Supagirl
She ran a cracker at Ascot last time and has come a long way from where she started off with us. It would be great to get black type with her. This is a different test to last time, going into Listed company from a handicap, but she saw out the trip well at Ascot when carrying a lot of weight.

Roger Charlton, joint-trainer of Time Lock
There are very few fillies' races over a mile and a half and we look to be meeting some on a similar trajectory. She's had a nice break since her last race at Haydock and we expect the trip to suit. She wouldn't want soft ground so if the rain stays away that will be fine and hopefully she can pick up some black type before the season is out.

Roger Varian, trainer of Voodoo Queen
She's a homebred out of Cursory Glance who was second in the Lowther at this meeting a few years ago. She looks as if she stays well so we expect this step up to a mile and a half to suit her. We expect her to be suited by the ground and the track and hopefully she can run very well.
Reporting by David Milnes

Thursday's previews:

1.50 York: The Lowther poser: is Queen Mary winner Dramatised a certainty or opposable?

3.00 York: 'He's due a big one' - trainers on their runners in this £125,000 handicap

3.35 York: Yorkshire Oaks: 'It's all systems go' - Alpinista chases first domestic Group 1

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