Yesterday’s Review
1pt e/way Kirschner (102) – The selection looked to be given a lot to do considering his recent improvement had come from racing prominently. He failed to quicken sufficiently down the home straight and could only mange 6th place failing to make the frame by three quarters of a length.
0.75pt e/way Underwriter (97) – The rain that fell before racing changed the ground to Good (Good to Soft) which would have been against the selection who never travelled and came home in 14th beaten 9.75 lengths. He will be worth keeping an eye on if there is any genuine Good to Firm going still around.
1pt e/way Havana Sprite (68) – A similar comment regarding the change in going applies to this filly who finished second last beaten 23 lengths.
Today’s Advice
WILD BLOSSOM (6f Group 2) – The going has been changed to Good To Soft all over and there is a forecast of light rain between 1.5mm and 2mm. The selection looks like she will benefit from a step up in trip for today’s Lowther Stakes as her dam raced mainly over a mile and her grand-dam Alava was a 9f winner. Her soft ground defeat of Crownbreaker by 10 lengths reads well in the context of today’s going and while there are more impressive recent winners ahead of her in the betting she has proven herself on a soft surface before. She did well to get the better of Fast Track in a Class 2 conditions race over 5f at Goodwood by a length and a half on ground that was probably quick enough for her having raced prominently. Regular jockey James Doyle is on board again for today’s (1.50) York, and she looks the right price for an interest having proven herself already on a similar surface. Libertango, Star Of State and Livenka have been very impressive so far on a fast surface and it will be interesting to see if they can reproduce their form on slower ground.
BLUE BROTHER (8f Hcap) – Similar comments apply to this Wathnan runner who has been running on a faster than ideal surface of late. A runner-up in a Listed race at Saint Cloud at the back-end of 2024 on Heavy going he has been lightly raced since with just two unplaced efforts at Al Rayyan and Ascot in 2025. He has been performing better this season having finished fourth over 7f in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot behind Mezcala and an eighth place finish beaten 4.2 lengths in the Coral Golden Mile at Glorious Goodwood. Today’s (3.00) York will be the first time he races on a softer surface since 2024 and with a decent draw in stall 5 and James Doyle booked he looks a value play. The favourite Centigrade should also enjoy conditions having being mightily impressive when winning over the mile at Newbury on Heavy ground back in 2024. Lightly raced since he repeated the dose over the mile on the tapeta at Southwell following a near two year break back in June when taking a novice contest by 2.75 lengths. Off the track 63 days since he looks unexposed off his mark of 102 and plenty will be on his side again today. At the prices I will have to let him win and hope the also unexposed five year old can enjoy today’s conditions even more.
INIS MOR (11f 188Y Group 1) – Kalpana has already proven herself as the best female horse in the world having won the King George at Ascot from Calandagan. She has also won the Qipco British Champion Fillies and Mares Group 1 on a soft surface at Ascot back in 2024. Odds-on backers can feel content that they have a lot of boxes ticked for today’s (3.35) Yorkshire Oaks but for the purpose of this blog I went for the David Menuisier trained three-year-old. A Class 4 novice winner over 7f as a two-year-old at Newmarket she had yet to show her true qualities until stepped up to 10f at Goodwood this May. In a slowly run Listed race she quickened clear of Earth Song at the business end of the race having raced prominently, and although only a head clear at the line she looked to be holding that rival. A step up in class at Chantilly for the Group 1 Prix De Diane saw her record a career best (117) timefigure behind another filly who would have claims to being top of her class in the world in Diamond Necklace. She found that superstar 2.25 lengths too strong on the day but performed very well to take the bronze medal having raced in touch of the leaders. On breeding it was always looking like middle-distances would be her forte with her dam Mellow winning over 15f.
I felt connections were too cautious on her first attempt over 12f in the Irish Oaks racing in rear although she can race keenly early on and needed cover. As the race developed she was stuck in behind a wall of horses and only managed to get going after the winner Johanna Walsh had flown. Having already shown solid form on Very Soft going at Longchamp as a two-year-old behind Cape Orator back in 2025, she should have no problems with the softer conditions and may even find them suiting her more than most of her rivals. With a decent pace provided by Sugar Island and plenty of prominent racers in the field she should be able to out-run her odds and following yesterday’s shock result in the Group 1 Juddmonte Stakes it would be no surprise if the short priced favourite failed to take to York on her first visit.
0.75pt e/way Wild Blossom (6/1 Betvictor, Betfred, 11/2 William Hill 4 places) 1.50 York
1pt e/way Blue Brother (15/2 William Hill, Unibet, 13/2 Ladbrokes 5 places) 3.00 York
0.75pt e/way Inis Mor (16/1 general) 3.35 York