The only two older horses to have won the Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks in the last decade were both Arc winners and Andrew Balding will be hoping that proves to be a good omen ahead of this year’s renewal for Kalpana.
Enable had already won the Paris showpiece twice when she turned up at York in 2019 and landed short odds as a five-year-old, and while Alpinista had at the same age been doing most of her winning abroad she showed in the 2022 renewal how good she was on the UK stage.
She would go on to give Sir Mark Prescott his biggest day in racing later that season and now it is Kalpana’s turn.
Technically this should represent an easier task than she faced on her most recent outing at Ascot in the King George. That day she took on a host of Group One-winning colts and geldings from all over the world and beat Calandagan by 1.5-lengths.
That form alone is head and shoulders clear of the rest and while it was only 26 days ago and Taghrooda did get turned over at 1-5 in 2014 when trying to do the same double, she was only three at the time and Kalpana is two years older.
Johanna Walsh looks the best of the Classic generation after a wide-margin Irish Oaks win and is in receipt of 9lb, but she will have to improve again to trouble Kalpana in a race in which favourites have done exceptionally well down the years.
Livenka can give Juddmonte’s retained jockey Colin Keane a big-race double in the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes.
Trainer Ger Lyons is a rare visitor to the UK these days and only makes the journey when he thinks he has a serious chance. This filly looked way above average in winning the valuable Ballyhane Stakes at Naas and is clearly on an upward curve.
Her two defeats came against two of Aidan O’Brien’s top juveniles and in winning her maiden she beat the reopposing Star Of State who won by nine lengths next time up.
Sun Goddess is a Group One winner and Tokaido has won a Group Two so they take out a huge chunk of the market in the Harry’s Half Million By Goffs.
Owners Middleham Park Racing have a great record in these sales events though, as does trainer Clive Cox, and they combine with Satellite Of Love.
Unbeaten in two, he has followed a similar route to Song Of The Clyde who won this race for Cox and the Lambourn trainer is incredibly going for a fourth win in a row.
Bullet Point was asked a lot last time out in the Shergar Cup and while he was quite a well beaten second, it was at least his best run for some time.
He won the Sir Kevin Sinfield 7 In 7 Grand Finale Handicap last year from a mark of 100 and then ran just two days later in the Strensall Stakes and that appeared to have knocked him back a bit.
Having disappointed on his one run in Australia he was also well beaten twice in the spring, but freshened up and in first-time cheekpieces, he ran much better at Ascot and is only 1lb higher than last year.
John and Thady Gosden’s Morrophore is going the right way and looks the solid option in the British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes.
She beat Sky Safari in the Winter Oaks who went and won the Winter Derby so that looks strong form.
Charlie Johnston’s Telegraphic was unlucky not to make it two from three last time out when just failing to give 6lb to Keep Grating at Yarmouth. He could be off a decent mark in the Mews Hotel Ossett EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap. – Press Association
TAB is betting on 5 UK meetings on Thursday. Here are the tips.
YORK: Race 1: 14.50 Livenka, Race 2: 15.25 Satellite Of Love, Race 3: 16.00 Bullet Point, Race 4: 16.35 KALPANA (NAP), Race 5: 17.10 Morrophore, Race 6: 17.45 Telegraphic, Race 7: 18.20 Tryst.
NEWMARKET: Race 1: 15.00 Zephyra, Race 2: 15.35 Voyager One, Race 3: 16.10 Venetian Lion, Race 4: 16.45 Race To The Stars, Race 5: 17.20 Mr Writer, Race 6: 17.51 Jack Langley.
LINGFIELD: Race 1: 15.10 Inglewood, Race 2: 15.45 Royal Acclamation, Race 3: 16.20 Bajan Bandit, Race 4: 16.55 Gunfighter, Race 5: 17.30 Love Alive, Race 6: 18.01 Sea Her Excel.
STRATFORD: Race 1: 18.35 Fine Thing, Race 2: 19.06 Kom Tu Voudras, Race 3: 19.36 Bagheera Ginge, Race 4: 20.06 Krak, Race 5: 20.36 Yes And Yes, Race 6: 21.06 Mayday Games.
NEWCASTLE: Race 1: 19.19 Jedhi Knight, Race 2: 19.54 Queen’s Hame, Race 3: 20.24 Spirited Gesture, Race 4: 20.54 This Moment, Race 5: 21.24 Little Mi Mi, Race 6: 21.54 Operation Gimcrack.
ALL TO COME: Livenka and Kalpana (York, Races 1 and 4).
