Give the Lowther a Miss
THERE’S plenty of rain about up in York this week and the fillies lining up for the Group Two Lowther Stakes (1:45pm) on day two of the Ebor Festival may encounter the most testing ground of the entire week.
That shouldn’t be a problem for Irish raider MISS AMULET, a daughter of Sir Prancealot who won a good Listed event on soft ground at Naas two weeks ago.
Conditions that day blunted even-money favourite Frenetic’s turn of foot while Miss Amulet got through the ground really well and won going away despite being trapped in behind the leaders.
Her trainer, Ken Condon, is one of the shrewdest in the business and he wouldn’t be sending this 12/1-shot over if he thought she only had a minor part to play.
While William Haggas’ Queen Mary Stakes runner-up, Sacred, sets the standard, she isn’t guaranteed to handle conditions and I’d rather roll the dice with another 12/1 chance, UMM KULTHUM.
She caught the eye when rattling home late at Thirsk on debut last month and will hopefully take another big step forward.
You couldn’t help but be impressed with the way she made up the ground once the penny dropped and she’ll hopefully come on plenty for that experience.
Jessica Harrington’s Sussex Garden has a couple of solid runs under her belt and holds every chance for an in-form yard, while Setarhe has strong claims of continuing Roger Varian’s purple patch his two-year-olds.
Neither of those will be the price of my two selections, though, and that looks the way to go on ground that could throw up a few surprise results.
POINTERS
Umm Kulthum 12/1 1.45pm York
Miss Amulet 12/1 1.45pm York