The fillies take centre-stage on the second day of the 2014 Ebor Festival, and Jamie Lynch assesses the action.
Not since Frankel, and not much before Frankel, have we seen a Group 1 being used as a lap of honour, but that’s the case with Taghrooda in the Yorkshire Oaks. The brilliant Taghrooda is one of the best middle-distance fillies of any era, not just this one, and there’s a ferocity behind the femininity, as the older boys discovered in the King George.
This will be a cakewalk for Taghrooda, but what of the crumbs and the race for second? It’s with a sense of déjà vu that Venus de Milo is put forward for the exacta, because she was second in the race last year to a far superior John Gosden filly. Substitute The Fugue for Taghrooda and it could be a case of history repeating, with every reason for thinking that Venus de Milo can fill out second again now she’s reverting to her best trip of a mile and a half.
Ladies’ day by name and nature, as the other feature race on the card is for the fairer sex, the Lowther Stakes, and it’s a clash to savour between the three highest-rated juvenile fillies – on Timeform figures - in Britain and Ireland. Two of them already have a bit of history, Anthem Alexander beating Tiggy Wiggy by a neck when they were first and second in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, but the latter has improved again since then, outclassing twenty-odd rivals in the Super Sprint at Newbury.
Six furlongs is unknown territory for both of them, whereas the unbeaten Cursory Glance is unbeaten at the trip, including the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot. Under these circumstances, there should be little between the trio, but something has got to give, and my trifecta is Tiggy Wiggy, Cursory Glance and Anthem Alexander, in the belief that Tiggy has the most talent while Cursory will outstay Anthem for second.
Placed behind Tiggy Wiggy in the Super Sprint was Fast Act, who ran even better when second in the Molecomb, and he’s the pick of the weights for the big-field sales race that opens proceedings. However, Fast Act lives up to his name and stretching him out over an extra furlong may prove problematic. The trip isn’t an issue for Kool Kompany but the busy campaign might be, as this will be his eighth start, and only eleven days after a hard race in Ireland (runner-up in a soft-ground Group 1).
The doubts about the ‘form’ horses paves the way for something at a bigger price, and Markaz looks the one following his second in a strong nursery at Goodwood, which he might well have won but for another sluggish break. His stalls technique needs working on, but better to be a poor starter with fast ability than a fast starter with poor ability, as it’s something that can be fixed, and if getting away on terms then Markaz will be a big factor in the finish. He’s a brother to Mecca’s Angel who found only Hot Streak too strong at this meeting last year.
Also at the 2013 Ebor Festival, Short Squeeze announced his arrival when running away with a mile handicap, the middle leg of a hat-trick that looked likely to propel him to Group company. It hasn’t worked out for him in the meantime, but his latest run, when fourth at the track, strongly suggested that he was coming to the boil again.
This has possibly been the plan all along for Short Squeeze, and the fitting of both cheekpieces and a tongue strap indicates that today is indeed the day. The handicapper has been kind, the draw could have been kinder, but he’s the kind of each-way bet that might bring the kindest memories of the day.
