Magical can pull Juddmonte victory out of the hat
THERE may only now be the five runners in the Juddmonte International Stakes (3.15pm), but what the race lacks in terms of quantity, it more than makes up for in quality.
Ghaiyyath deserves his position at the top of the market on the back of three impressive performances so far this campaign.
After a commanding all the way win at Meydan on his return to action in February, he has since produced two devastating front-running performances, both in the Coronation Cup at Newmarket and the Eclipse at Sandown last time.
That latest victory was the best to date on his CV with the likes of Enable, Japan and Deirdre all in behind.
His flop in last season’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is long forgotten and he will take some passing here if allowed an uncontested lead.
I suppose the only reason I am taking him on is that he takes on another three top-class horses and this is the Juddmonte International, often referred to as the graveyard of champions.
Plenty of stars have had some of their defining moments on the Knavesmire.
In recent years Frankel and Sea The Stars cemented their superstar status in this very contest.
But, it’s worth remembering the race has tamed its fair share of lions too and the great Brigadier Gerard’s only defeat came here.
Golden Horn was a red-hot favourite when outbattled by 50/1 Arabian Queen here as recently as 2015.
If the bold front-running Ghaiyyath is to be reeled in here, there is every chance it could be by the three-year-old Kameko in receipt of seven pounds.
The 2000 Guineas winner clearly failed to see out the trip in the Investec Derby and was extremely unlucky in the Sussex Stakes last time when all dressed up with nowhere to go in a messy race.
Andrew Balding’s colt steps back up in trip here and looks a leading contender.
I suppose the only slight concern with him is whether he will see out this trip as he has shown so much speed in his races to date. If he does, there is no doubting he is a serious danger to all.
Lord North must have been one of the biggest ever certainties when he lined up in last season’s Cambridgeshire Handicap off a mark of just 98.
John Gosden’s four-year-old has rattled off three more victories since then including the Group One Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last time.
There isn’t a horse in training on a steeper trajectory of improvement than him and it would be no surprise if he were to win again.
However, in these types of situations it has always paid to stick with trainer Aidan O’Brien, so I’m siding with MAGICAL.
The super-tough five-year-old mare has won four of her last five starts, all at the highest level.
She is versatile when it comes to the ground, so should the heavens open that won’t inconvenience her either as shown when she slogged her way to victory in last season’s Champion Stakes at Ascot.
She has been brought to the boil slowly this campaign with two relatively facile successes on home soil in Ireland.
Connections have resisted the temptation to travel her to this point as she has held plenty of entries over here at Ascot, Sandown and Goodwood.
This has obviously been the plan for some time and at 7/2 she looks the value call in a wide open race.
It is also interesting that she is the only one of the four leading contenders to have run at York before.
There is no evidence to suggest that any of the other three will not handle the track, but Magical has shown it holds no fears when she chased home Enable here 12 months ago.
In fact, the York specialist in the field could well be 100/1 outsider Rose Of Kildare.
She was a surprise winner of last month’s Musidora Stakes on her latest start but has a mountain to climb here.
POINTERS
Magical 7/2 3.15 York