POINT TO BE MADE IN EBOR
Blakeney Point can give Roger Charlton a first victory in the Sky Bet Ebor, the highlight on the last of four days of action at York.
The handicap feature always provides a stirring finish to the Ebor Festival and it is the five-yearold who is fancied to bag the pretty significant first prize this time around.
Blakeney Point won his final two starts last term, beating Danehill Kodiac on his penultimate outing, with that one going on to enhance the form with a succession of fine efforts in Pattern company.
It is easy to see how Charlton felt his own horse was worth a try at that sort of level this season on the basis of that effort, but Blakeney Point has twice fallen short against Mirage Dancer, first in a Listed heat on his seasonal reappearance and then in a Goodwood Group Three last time.
That latter run was certainly not a bad effort to finish fourth, being held up through the early stages before finishing with a flourish in what appeared to be a perfect prep for this.
Blakeney Point has posted his best efforts under a waiting ride and with the master of such tactics, the bang-in-form Jamie Spencer, in the plate, as he steps back up in trip, Charlton’s runner could be perfectly placed to triumph.
Lord Glitters can get a nice confidence-boosting success in the Sky Bet And Symphony Group Strensall Stakes.
He has been more than punching his weight at Group One level for David O’Meara, finishing second in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and third in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
Beaten just a neck in the Summer Mile in between, Lord Glitters should certainly be in the shake-up again.
Expert Eye was one place in front of Lord Glitters in second in the Sussex and it would be a shock if he were to be beaten in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes.
Winner of the Jersey Stakes at Ascot and always held in high regard, Sir Michael Stoute’s runner switches back to seven furlongs here and this looks the perfect springboard to some big autumn targets.
Altyn Orda was really up against it when taking on Alpha Centauri at Newmarket, but she merits the utmost respect in the Ladbrokes Celebration Mile Stakes at Goodwood.
Alpha Centauri is undoubtedly the pick of this year’s Classic generation, so Altyn Orda’s four-anda-half-length second in the Falmouth Stakes looked a career-best effort.
Roger Varian’s charge also finished a fair fifth in the 1000 Guineas and with all the allowances in her favour, she can gain that all-important Group Two success.