Friday was just another great day to be Willie Mullins, his Max Dynamite winning a Group Two at York under Frankie Dettori after, a few hours earlier, he had had a significant piece of good news about Saturday’s big race. His Clondaw Warrior (3.45) looked like missing the cut for the Ebor until there was a withdrawal shortly before the 9am deadline, so instead the eight-year-old sneaks into a race for which he has outstanding claims.
Clondaw Warrior’s handicap rating was about half what it is now when Mullins started running him on the Flat last summer, having inherited him from Shark Hanlon. Although the horse has failed to make it in Mullins’ familiar jump-racing territory, his career on the level has taken off, with victories at Royal Ascot and the Galway festival being his latest achievements.
He carries a penalty here, meaning he is only 3lb higher than for Galway. Big fields are clearly no problem, he is versatile as to ground and nothing is easier than to imagine Dettori steering him through the pack from the top of the home straight.
Quick Jack and Astronereus command respect but Clondaw Warrior has much more scope to be ahead of his rating and these conditions are close to ideal.
1.45 Sandown One of the least experienced of these, Blond Me, impressed when landing a Listed contest over this course and distance last month, with Black Cherry among those behind her. Seven weeks later she will surely have made plenty of progress and this big field may again set things up nicely for her strong finish. Slow ground would be less of an issue for her than for most of these but Sandown’s surface looks likely to dry out.
2.00 York After a spell in the doldrums Top Notch Tonto seems back in the sort of form that carried him into second place in a QEII two years ago. He was beaten half a length in a Group Two here last time, when the extended 10 furlongs was just a bit further than he really wanted to go. This shorter trip and slightly lower grade may make the difference for him and it is interesting, on reflection, to see that he has always run well at this specialist’s track since joining Brian Ellison.
2.15 Sandown Unsuited by soft ground at Ascot last time, Manaafidh gets his chance here to show that he is better than he looked then. He was a first-time winner for the Richard Hannon yard, which is often a significant pointer as their horses are given plenty of time, and his breeding suggests there may well be improvement to come.
2.35 York Having stormed home against older rivals at Pontefract last time, Hernandoshideaway looks on a major upward curve and the extra two furlongs seem sure to help. Anything between Good going or Soft will be fine for him.
2.50 Sandown Basateen promised much last year but a step up to this distance did not help as much as it should have done last time. First-time blinkers could make a difference but the ground was possibly too quick for him in that Haydock race. He looks fairly treated when things fall right for him.
3.10 York America’s Finnegan looks the likely favourite but, as his stablemate Acapulco found out yesterday, having speed to burn will take you only so far on rain-softened ground at this track. He will do well to sustain his effort to the line. Mark Johnston’s Ode To Evening seems overlooked, having hacked up in a Ripon maiden on this sort of surface in early June. He then ran a fine race on a fast surface when fifth in the Coventry before being sidelined by a couple of apparently minor issues. With Silvestre de Sousa aboard for the first time, he could step up on his Ascot effort on this easier surface and that will make him a contender.
3.30 Chester Having won this last season, Ocean Tempest has since dropped to a much lower mark, in large part through a series of defeats in Dubai in the first three months of the year. He will be better for his Goodwood reappearance and now seeks his fourth win at this track.
