A QUIETER weekend of racing allows us to take a further look ahead to some races at the York Ebor Festival, in this case two of the Group One contests on the Knavesmire.
Glorious Goodwood further muddled the picture in the sprint division, and we are yet to see a standout sprinter this season.
The sprint mantle is there to be grasped, and ARIZONA BLAZE may well do so in the Nunthorpe Stakes.
He was just touched off in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot on his penultimate run, before winning the Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh back down in trip, where he beat a good yardstick in Mgheera.
That was the Amo Racing-owned colt’s first start over five furlongs since his close second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last November.
Five furlongs looks his optimum distance, and he is a sporting each-way bet at around 8/1.
With news of Field Of Gold’s defection from the Juddmonte International Stakes, and the race expected to cut up further, now is the time to dip into the ante-post market.
Delacroix and Ombudsman are the ones to beat, but DANON DECILE looks set to make the trip over from Japan and should not be disregarded.
His form over a mile-and-a-half looks high-class, after he took it to another level last time when beating subsequent Group One King George winner Calandagan in the Dubai Sheema Classic back in March.
That is bona fide Group One form and a repeat of it would put him right to the top of this field.
He’s only raced seven times in his career, so there should be more to come, and quotes of 10/1 need snapping up.
POINTERS ANTE-POST
Danon Decile e/w 10/1 Juddmonte International Stakes (20th Aug, York)
Arizona Blaze e/w 8/1 Nunthorpe Stakes (22nd Aug, York)