CONVEY ALL SET TO DELIVER
Convey can clinch the bigrace victory he has long promised in the Sky Bet Go Racing-In-Yorkshire Summer Festival Pomfret Stakes at Pontefract.
The son of Dansili was hugely impressive on his racecourse debut at Kempton back in the autumn of 2014, after which you would have got decent odds about him failing to win again in his next seven starts – but that is the case ahead of his appearance in West Yorkshire.
The four-year-old showed signs of his talent earlier in the campaign with narrow defeats at York and Haydock, going down by just a neck to the highclass Home Of The Brave in the Group Three Timeform Jury Stakes on Merseyside.
He went to Royal Ascot as favourite for the Royal Hunt Cup, but the combination of a poor draw and testing conditions saw him run one of the most disappointing races of his career.
Sir Michael Stoute’s charge was far from disgraced on his latest appearance in the Group Two Summer Mile, though, and he should be hard to beat dropped in grade for his latest assignment.
The banker of the afternoon is Savannah’s Dream in the opening Fly High Faye Nickels Maiden Stakes.
David O’Meara’s filly ran a race full of promise when third on her Ripon debut and it is perhaps indicative of the regard in which she is held that she was thrown in at the deep on her next start in the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot.
She was 100-1 for that difficult assignment, but outran her huge odds and then some to finish second.
A reproduction of that effort will surely see her make it third-time lucky.
William Muir’s Phijee looks a winner without a penalty in the bookies.com Novice Auction Stakes at Carlisle.
Not a yard known for first-time-out winners, this juvenile was only 7-1 for a Newbury maiden on debut.
Slowly away and then hampered, his chance appeared gone after just 100 yards.
However, he showed a good deal of ability to come through on the bridle and go clear, with the race seemingly in the bag.
Unfortunately, he got lonely out in front and a more experienced rival pipped him on the post. Compensation now awaits.
Martin Keighley’s Jazzy stepped up markedly from his hurdling debut to win at Stratford a fortnight ago and should take all the beating in the Club Albion Juvenile Hurdle at Uttoxeter.
Decent on the level with a rating of 77, he was sent off an even-money favourite at Hexham but ruined his chance by pulling too hard in the early stages and he was quickly tailed off.
At Stratford, though, he settled nicely into a nice rhythm from the front and saw off a couple of decent opponents who have not let the form down since.
David Pipe’s Twentytwo’s Taken has top weight but looks the class act in the Burton Albion First Team Handicap Hurdle.
She was going great guns out in front last time out when she fell and has been given plenty of time to get over that.
Meanwhile, last year’s winner Big Orange features among 17 confirmations for the Qatar Goodwood Cup next Thursday.
Just as he did 12 months ago, Michael Bell’s five-yearold will arrive off the back of a front-running victory in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting.
Big Orange went on to finish fifth in the Melbourne Cup before being narrowly denied in the Dubai Gold Cup on his return to action and looks sure to put up a staunch defence of his Goodwood crown.