Illumined to shine in Goodwood’s British Stallion Studs EBF Foundation Stakes
- Illumined can prove to be the star of the show in today’s Goodwood's British Stallion Studs EBF Foundation Stakes.
John Gosden's filly moves up to Listed class today after two comfortable victories from just four career starts.
The latest win came as an odds-on favourite in a Haydock handicap when she encountered soft ground for the first time on her return to turf after two sound performances over 2400m on Kempton's Polytrack.
Back to 2000m on Merseyside, Illumined showed enough speed there to suggest she will be at home over this course and distance.
Up 3kg for her Haydock success, she must still bridge a significant ratings gap to get the better of more seasoned opponents here.
But she receives weight from all apart from her fellow threeyear-old Look Around, who runs in the same high-profile colours, and it is not difficult to back Gosden's decision to test her in this strong open-age company.
Specialise was Illumined's victim at Haydock, dispatched by two lengths in a four-runner field.
Roger Varian's filly was a feasibly-backed market rival that day and if Illumined runs with the anticipated credit, Specialise will be even more strongly-fancied half-an-hour later in the Thoroughbred Breeders Association Fillies' Handicap.
She moves up in trip by 800m here, and has raced throughout her brief career as if the extra distance will help significantly.
Newcastle's evening card is notable for a three-strong raiding party from Sir Michael Stoute's Newmarket yard.
Among them is Crystal Pegasus who, as his name suggests might be the case, is related to the same owner and trainer's recently-retired superstar Crystal Ocean.
Crystal Pegasus is out of a half-sister to his ex-stablemate, who at one point this summer was rated the best horse in the world ahead of the mighty Enable.
The Designs Signage EBF Novice Stakes may therefore be well within his compass, particularly after a promising debut third at Ascot which indicated an extra 200m here will be no problem.
Stoute has chosen the following Equine Products EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes for Jovial, ahead of Group 1 and 2 options at Newmarket this week.
At the track where Enable began her brilliant career with a victory in the same colours, Jovial therefore has a golden opportunity to double her tally - conceding a penalty all round to 11 opponents after a maiden success at Yarmouth last month.
Dance Fever is another who must concede weight, but has the credentials to do so, in the second division of Kempton's 32Red On The App Store Novice Median Auction Stakes.
Clive Cox's colt caught the eye with a debut win at Windsor this month, overcoming a very slow start but learning on the job to such effect that he had 1.5 lengths to spare from his nine rivals at the line.
On that basis, he should be well up to making it two from two at the same distance of 1200m.
Redcar offers an early chance for punters to get ahead of the game, with a card which gets under way at 12.15.
It may pay to wait until the sixth of eight races, though.
Sir Mark Prescott has enjoyed a fine second half of the season, and Brassica can bloom for him too in the William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap.
This three-year-old was pitched into classy Group 3 company last September, after winning a novice event on her second start.
She did not then reappear for almost a full 12 months, outrunning her odds of 33-1 to finish a four-length third of 15 in a Listed race at Yarmouth.
An opening mark of 83 does not appear harsh on handicap debut.