A big race meeting always presents the opportunity for a big favourite accumulator. There are six market leaders of particular interest this week at York and we have given our verdict on the strength of their claims below.
Secret State (3.00 Wednesday)
On a run of four successive victories, SECRET STATE comes here as one of many chances Godolphin have in the St Leger.
His stablemate, Walk Of Stars, is also entered here, while Charlie Appleby also has the ante-post favourite for the race in New London. It is a very strong hand, but while the last-named has already had his main prep run, when winning the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, Secret State is yet to fully show his hand.
His four victories have arrived between 1m½f-1m4f, though he has won at a higher level at the latter trip. After maiden and novice wins at Chester and Nottingham, he has taken the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot off a mark of 93 and a further big handicap at Goodwood having been raised 7lb.
His only defeat came on debut to Francesco Clemente, who remains unbeaten, while his defeat of Deauville Legend at Ascot, conceding that re-opposing, subsequent Group 3 winner 4lb, was a particularly impressive effort. He is progressing with every start.
That was also prevalent when winning last time out despite hanging up Goodwood’s straight. Ballydoyle’s Aikhal is interesting up in trip, but he holds his other main rivals on both established and collateral form. His Classic credentials may be secret no longer.
Verdict: Banker
Baaeed (3.35 Wednesday)
Nine races, nine wins. Everything has been so straightforward for BAAEED to this point, but to prove himself a true great, he was always going to have to venture forth over a new trip.
Every single one of his victories has been over exactly 1m. Then again, it is not too surprising that William Haggas has kept things as is, as only Palace Pier, who won nine of his 11 career starts before retirement last autumn, has been able to give Baaeed a serious race. Even then, Jim Crowley won without fully extending his mount.
This season has seen three Group 1s merely come and go. Though he is not always the flashiest, he gets the job done without fuss and that temperament should benefit in terms of his stamina for 1m2f.
Then again, he is a brother to Hukum, who is a Group 1 winner over 1m4f and also won up to 1m6f. There is plenty of pedigree for him to potentially go even further than this.
Mishriff could be a serious threat, maybe even the greatest he has faced on a racecourse. However, he is liable to miss the break and if he does, giving up ground to a champion such as Baaeed will surely prove costly.
Verdict: Banker
Dramatised (1.50 Thursday)
She was very well-supported for the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot and DRAMATISED certainly did not disappoint.
After a comfortable maiden win at Newmarket over a subsequent Group race runner-up, she was backed into comfortable favouritism despite the presence of a Wesley Ward trained American raider. She need not have bothered, as Dramatised recorded an easy victory for the hosts, with Danny Tudhope pushing her out for a near two-length success.
She was thoroughly in control of the race, so even Tudhope dropping his whip could not stop her. However, there are reasons to be a little bit shaky as to whether she should be such a short price for the Group 2 Lowther Stakes.
For example, the form of the Queen Mary has not worked out well. Runner-up Maylandsea has been well-beaten twice since, while only one of the remaining top nine has posted a better Racing Post Rating in any of their outings since Ascot. Visually, she was very good, but she is up against some other top juvenile fillies here.
All of Lezoo, Mawj and Meditate have won Group races over 6f already and all in good style. Should at least a couple of those potential rivals be declared, this race becomes a lot hotter than the one Dramatised won last time.
She should be favourite on promise alone, but the knocks taken to the Queen Mary form are reasons to oppose her at the prices.
Verdict: Blowout
Alpinista (3.35 Thursday)
It has been a remarkable run from ALPINISTA, whose Group 1 exploits have been mapped out so perfectly by trainer Sir Mark Prescott.
The grey has now won six races in a row and is undefeated since 2020. She was runner-up in this race that year when still a three-year-old as the 2020 Oaks winner Love was simply too good. However, that was then and two years on, the daughter of Frankel has done nothing but improve.
Her run started with a short head success in a Goodwood Listed race last April. She then stepped up to win the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock before her string of Group 1s began in Germany.
She won three times in that country, claiming the Grosser Preis Von Berlin, the Preis Von Europa and the Grosser Preis Von Bayern in the space of three months. In the first of those, she defeated Arc hero Torquator Tasso. This season began in similar fashion, this time in France, when she emphatically won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
That was her biggest result yet, albeit she may still have to prove it in this country. Moreover, she has a great deal of history to contend with in this race, which could also be her undoing.
Seven of the last eight renewals of the Yorkshire Oaks have gone to three-year-olds and she faces both the Epsom and Irish Oaks heroines in Tuesday and Magical Lagoon, not to mention fellow Group 1 scorer this season, La Petite Coco.
Once again, she should be favourite, but at 2/1 or shorter, which she currently is, there are enough options to take her on with.
Verdict: Blowout
Stradivarius (2.25 Friday)
Much of the discussion since Goodwood has been about whether STRADIVARIUS will now get one more season at nine once this one concludes in October.
Owner Bjorn Nielsen is adamant that his dashing chestnut could have won both the Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup instead of Kyprios had they had a bit more luck. Both Frankie Dettori and Andrea Atzeni found trouble in-running and their margins of defeat were narrow.
Nevertheless, whether the Gosden team seek compensation next term is now pushed to the backs of minds. First things first, he will look to remain unbeaten at York, where he has won three Yorkshire Cups and three of this race, the Lonsdale Cup.
Trueshan, who had so rudely beaten him twice in recent seasons but was behind him at Goodwood, could easily repose here, but the chances of significant rain do not look likely. That would mean the up-and-coming Coltrane, fourth at Goodwood, would be the main danger.
While Andrew Balding’s charge travelled well through that contest, he has nearly five lengths to find with Stradivarius. The great champion is not on a massive decline just yet and another victory can be gained here.
Verdict: Banker (though watch out or rain…)
Royal Aclaim (3.35 Friday)
The initial rumblings after ROYAL ACLAIM was made favourite for the Nunthorpe were that there had been an overreaction. Her Listed win over course and distance was good, but not enough to suddenly vault to the top of a Group 1 market.
Yet, ever since that success at the start of July, the three-year-old has shortened, shortened and shortened some more, to the point where she is close to evens. Her reputation is tall and she certainly travelled smoothly into her race last time, but the vibes are incredibly strong for her to keep getting better still.
She has only had three career starts, which makes this all the more remarkable. Moreover, the runner-up last time was then second last in a handicap off a mark of 104. This will truly be about whether she can live up to the hype.
There might not be almighty depth among the 5f sprinters she will face, but there is certainly enough to be wary of. Highfield Princess, recent winner of the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, is still in contention as John Quinn eyes a drop back to the minimum trip, while Khaadem is plenty experienced enough at the top level and has won both races in this country this season.
That is without mentioning defending champion Winter Power, who could be revived by race conditions, nor giving a word to The Platinum Queen, who may run here as a juvenile. Frankly, Royal Aclaim is a bizarre price and surely there are too many options to take her on with.