Views from connections ahead of the feature action at York and Sandown on Saturday.
Woodhay Wonder is aiming for a fifth successive victory when she travels to York for the first time in the Churchill Tyres Supporting Macmillan Sprint Handicap.
All four of the Tom Ward-trained filly’s triumphs in this run have come over six furlongs at Newmarket, with the first of those in the £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes last August, when she beat Geologist by half a length.
Woodhay Wonder then powered to a four-length success in the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes and completed her hat-trick in April’s bet365 Handicap to kick-start her three-year-old career.
The sternest test came most recently in the Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day Handicap, when the daughter of Tamayuz held off Completely Random by a neck last month.
As a result, she has racked up over £200,000 in winnings and faces 18 rivals on the Knavesmire in her bid for a five-timer, which Ward is confident could be a possibility on Saturday afternoon.
“She’s very well, she’s come out of a couple of runs in good form,” he said. “I don’t want the ground to get too soft particularly, as long as it stays above the soft margin, it will be OK.
“She’s going there with a good chance. She seems to be improving with each run and each time we send her out to the races, she is getting more and more confidence and she’s going the right way.
“Hopefully she’s making into a pretty useful sprinter for towards the end of this year and for next year.”
Geoff Oldroyd will be hoping home comforts can benefit Pocklington, named after the East Riding market town situated near his yard at Yapham Grange, in his bid to make it three wins from four starts.
The veteran trainer will make the short 20-mile trip to York with the son of Blue Point, who began his career with two victories on the all-weather at Newcastle before finishing fifth of 14 when stepped up in grade for the Listed Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury last month.
“He’s a really nice horse,” Oldroyd said. “He has learnt a lot from that race at Newbury. It was his first run on turf as well and he just got a little bit lost when they crowded him a bit and then he got going again.
“I would still say he is unexposed and he is on the upgrade. We’re very hopeful of a big run.”
Twilight Romance won a maiden over course and distance last year and the John and Sean Quinn-trained bay is hoping the rain stays away.
“He’s training well, he’s had a light campaign so far,” Sean Quinn said. “I think he’s a horse who’s going to be most effective on good ground or faster, so I’m keeping my eye on the weather. But if conditions came up right, I hope he’d be a player in a good race.”
Early market leader Elmonjed goes for William Haggas, who has an interesting booking of crack Irish jockey Chris Hayes for this return to York following his sixth in a competitive handicap last month, when a well-backed favourite.
Ziggy’s Condor, who came second ahead of Elmonjed last time out, is one of four runners for Richard Fahey. Garfield Shadow, Tropical Island and Midnight Affair are the other three horses for the in-form Musley Bank handler.
Ralph Beckett has a royal runner in the field with Serried Ranks, who was bred by the late Queen, while Ryan Moore is on board James’s Delight for Clive Cox.
Imperial Guard goes for Andrew Balding, Charles Hills has Chief Mankato and Julie Camacho’s Cover Point hopes to make it back-to-back triumphs on his reappearance after a 274-day break.
The Coffee Pod has course and distance form for Richard Hannon, while Richard Spencer’s charge, Run Boy Run, makes the long journey from Suffolk for the £100,000 race.
The well-travelled Media Shooter lines up for Karl Burke, Craig Lidster saddles Almarada Prince, We Never Stop starts for Kevin Ryan and Vince L’Amour, trained by Tim Easterby, rounds up a strong contingent of local runners.
Rod Millman is hopeful the decision to forego an appearance at Royal Ascot with stable star Adaay In Devon will pay off on Sandown on Saturday when she lines up in the BetMGM: It’s Showtime Scurry Stakes.
A four-time winner from nine juvenile starts last season, the daughter of Adaay has taken her game to another level this term, winning back-to-back races at Bath including a Listed prize in April.
Having since been placed behind Jasour at Ascot and Elite Status at Newbury, Adaay In Devon would not have been out of place in next week’s Commonwealth Cup, but Millman is keen to get her back on the winning trail in Listed company this weekend.
He said: “We just decided to go there instead of Ascot. Obviously we’d like a bit of rain, but she’s in good form and hopefully she’ll run a good race.
“We’re dropping back from six to five furlongs, but she won the Lansdown (at Bath) easily enough over five and she’ll have a good chance in that race on Saturday, I think.
“She’s well in herself and she’s had a little break since her last run at Newbury as she’d been pretty busy up until then. We’re very pleased with her.”
Chief among Adaay In Devon’s rivals is Andrew Balding’s Flora Of Bermuda, who drops in class after effectively losing all chance at the start in the Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock three weeks ago when rearing in the stalls, eventually trailing home last of nine runners.
Richard Hughes, meanwhile, is looking forward to raising the sights of No Half Measures, who since filling the runner-up spot on her Wolverhampton debut in early March has rattled off a hat-trick with back-to-back all-weather wins followed by a dominant display on her turf debut in a Goodwood handicap.
“We had the three-year-old handicap at Ascot next week in mind for her (Sandringham Handicap), but I tracked the entries for this race and I just thought it looked a huge opportunity to try to get black type with her,” said Hughes.
“We’ll probably back her up quick at Ascot, we backed her up fairly quick at Goodwood and it didn’t do her in any harm.
“We’re hoping to get black type and any more will be a bonus. She’s so easy and goes on any ground, she’s straightforward and tries like hell.
“She’s on our side going into battle, which is great.”
George Boughey’s course and distance scorer Graceful Thunder and the David O’Meara-trained Nighteyes, winner of her last two starts, also feature.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
