Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SWEET AS PI
Maths add up as Balding tilts at John Smith’s Cup for second year running
PIVOINE is fancied to join an exclusive club with victory in the John Smith’s Cup (2.30, ITV) at York today.
Prominent (1971 & 1972) and Chaumiere (1985 & 1986) are the only horses to have captured the historic handicap twice – until now. Pivoine defends his title with a record of two visits to York and two wins.
The Andrew Balding (right) trainee, who had scored over course and distance at the 2018 Ebor Festival, returned to the Knavesmire to lift this race 12 months ago.
Pivoine has drawn a blank in his seven subsequent starts, but has taken on some tough tasks and the six-year-old’s handicap mark has slid down to 106, just 2lb higher than the perch from which he scored in 2019.
The rhythm of a big-field handicap over York’s extended 10 furlongs clearly suits Rob Hornby’s mount, who is fancied to remain unbeaten at his favourite track.
SHINE SO BRIGHT is expected to rediscover his lustre back at six furlongs in the Group 3 bet365 Hackwood Stakes (4.00) at Newbury today.
Andrew Balding, who runs the fancied Pivoine in York’s John Smith’s Cup this afternoon, saddled Shine So Bright to beat Laurens in the Group 2 City Of York Stakes over seven furlongs on the final day of the
Ebor Festival last August.
Shine So Bright hasn’t matched that form in four starts since, including when third in the
Listed Surrey Stakes, in which he tore off in the lead before fading close home, at Epsom two weeks ago. Silvestre De Sousa will surely adopt similar tactics, and Shine So Bright could prove hard to peg back.
was beaten at short odds at Newcastle three weeks ago but gets the vote to return to winning ways back on turf in the Listed bet365 Aphrodite Stakes (3.25).
After a taking debut at Doncaster at the end of June, Oisin Murphy’s mount deserves a crack at Listed company for the bet365 Rose Bowl Stakes (2.15).
Murphy (below) partners in the following British Ebf/bet365 Premier Fillies’ Handicap (2.50), and Ed Walker’s unbeaten filly features on an attractive mark.
At York, is fancied to give Jamie Spencer, who is back in the saddle after breaking his hip in April, a winning comeback in the Group 3 John Smith’s Silver Cup (1.55).
David Simcock’s fouryear-old won his sixth race from 10 starts when capturing the Listed Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket last time out – and still has more to offer.
A drop in class and trip will help last Saturday’s July Cup sixth
in the Listed John Smith’s City Walls Stakes (3.05), while has plenty going for her in the William Hill Extra Places Every Day Handicap (3.40).