Could York form prove the key to valuable juvenile sales event?

Thursday: 2.10 Doncaster
Weatherbys Scientific £200,000 2-Y-O Stakes (GBB Race) | 6½f | 2yo | ITV3/Sky

Ever Given had four of these rivals behind when he won the big juvenile sales race at York’s Ebor meeting last month and he sets the standard on Racing Post Ratings judged on that run.

Form from the Ebor meeting has often been key to finding the winner of this race and Morning Post (2013) and Mr Lupton (2015) won this after running in the sales race there.

Harrow won a 7f nursery at the Ebor meeting and The Great Heir also took the York handicap route, albeit a 6f one, before his victory here in 2018. Harrow drops half a furlong in trip and has looked as if he would stay further over 7f, so he might need this to become a stamina test.

Reply (2011) and Mubtasim (2016) were beaten in the Gimcrack before coming on to victory here and Splitting Feathers is down in class after being well beaten in that Group 2 last time.

If York form doesn’t prevail, maybe Live In The Dream could. He has been in this race since the entries opened and is the only horse from Adam West’s yard for whom that was the case.

He has had an unusual preparation, having won at 20-1 on his debut at Wolverhampton just ten days ago, then been turned out quickly only two days after that to finish a close third under a penalty at Lingfield.

It’s not often juveniles run three times in such a short period and West evidently wanted to get some experience into Live In The Dream ahead of this race.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

What they say

Gay Kelleway, trainer of Nooo More
I’ve not had the horse very long and we are still learning about him but he looks like he would prefer some cut in the ground, so I hope the forecast rain materialises.

Roger Varian, trainer of Jazz Club
When he wears a set of blinkers at home he takes off, so we’re fitting him with a pair here to see if it can focus his mind. He won well at Windsor and this is a race we’ve done well in over the years.

Philip Robinson, racing manager to Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum, owner of Robasta
He won well over six furlongs at Ascot but may well have not stayed the seven at Goodwood last time. Hopefully, this lesser trip should suit and he won’t mind any rain.

Tom Dascombe, trainer of Ever Given
He’s been terribly consistent and enjoys this sort of trip and ground as he showed at York, but I don’t know how his draw in stall three is going to pan out. If that proves to be no issue he should run another good race.

Oisin Murphy, rider of Harrow
We’ve had this race in mind for him for a while as we won it a few years ago with King’s Lynn. As he already shapes like a miler, the drop in trip may be an issue, but if they go a good clip he may get away with it.

Emily Scott, racing manager to Amo Racing, owners of Symphony Perfect
Hayley Turner won on her at Bath and gets on well with her and we expect a good showing. She’s run well in this type of race already this season and hopefully can be in the money again.

Conrad Allen, trainer of Luna Queen
She ran well to be third on her debut at Yarmouth but then ran with the choke out a little at Goodwood when no-one else wanted to make the running. She’s well drawn in the high numbers and she’s a filly we like.
Reporting by David Milnes

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