Can Power Of Destiny reverse form with Goodwood conqueror Al Anoud?

There are some exciting performers with fancy pedigrees set to line up in this handicap and Al Anoud certainly comes into that category as a half-sister to the Group 2-winning Al Hakeem, who also finished fourth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in 2022.

Al Anoud is more of a late developer than her half-sibling, but she won both starts as a three-year-old last season after making her debut only in August, and has improved this year.

She has recorded two career-best efforts in three starts this season and that includes at Goodwood last month, when she kept on well to beat Power Of Destiny by just a head.

They all came home in a heap that day, but Al Anoud is up only 2lb in the weights to a mark of 91 and is evidently bred to be a lot better than that. She is open to lots more improvement.

Power Of Destiny is back to renew the rivalry with Al Anoud and has a 1lb pull in the weights. That gives her every chance of reversing the places, provided that she makes the same amount of progress from that run as Al Anoud. The pair are clearly closely matched.

Al Anoud isn’t the only blueblood in the line-up as Chorus is out of the classy dam Koora, who ran two of her best races at York when second in the Galtres Stakes and Middleton Stakes at the course in 2015 and 2016. Chorus’s half-brother Klondike has also won here.

Klondike is rated 110, while Chorus’s other half-brother is Kemari and he is rated 105. That evidently points to the William Haggas-trained Kingman filly being better than her current mark of 83 in time and Chorus looked on the upgrade when winning at Windsor last month.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

What they say

James Owen, trainer of Ambiente Amigo
I think the track will suit her and she’s coming back in trip as both I and Silvestre [de Sousa] didn’t think she quite got home last time. She’s dropping into a fillies’ handicap and will get the three-year-old allowance, which should help, and I’m hoping for a big run from her.

Kevin Philippart de Foy, trainer of Bint Al Daar
This is a step up in grade for her but she’s a filly who’s done very little wrong. She was second over course and distance this year and I think she’s fairly versatile. She will have to put in a career-best, but I see no reason to think she cannot do so.

Ed Walker, trainer of Dreamrocker and Canoodled
Dreamrocker will be very interesting on her first try at the trip. She's in cracking form, has run a series of really good races and is still progressing. Stepping up in distance will also suit Canoodled as she's so slowly away. She's coming down the handicap and runs off her lowest mark since she won at Newmarket last year.

Adam Ryan, assistant trainer to Kevin Ryan, trainer of Invisible Friend
She seems to run her best races when fresh, so we've worked towards this from her last run. She's got good course-and-distance form and we think there's more to come. She's still off a low mark and goes with a live chance.

Alastair Donald, racing manager for King Power Racing, owner of Power Of Destiny
She’s an improving filly and will have no problem with the ground or track. The winner at Goodwood last time got a clearer trip round than her and I feel we were a touch unlucky that day. She’s the deserved favourite but it’s a tough race.

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