Snapped up by Godolphin after his impressive debut success at Sandown July 20, 'TDN Rising Star' Best of Days (GB) (Azamour {Ire}) bids to follow in the steps of the likes of Royal Palace (GB), King's Best and Rule of Law, who captured York's G3 Tattersalls Acomb S. en route to Classic glory. Without being asked a serious question, the bay brushed aside his opponents for a six-length success over this seven-furlong trip, and trainer Hugo Palmer is hoping he can cope with this first major test. “He's a gorgeous horse, but as is often the case with the Acomb, we're jumping straight up from a maiden to a Group 3,” he said. “He's a horse we like and I hope he'll be up to the challenge, but we'll find out on Wednesday.”
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum is represented by Bear Valley (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}), who beat his useful stablemate Montataire (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) by four lengths in a competitive nursery at Glorious Goodwood over this trip July 28 and adds weight to the Maktoum representation. John Ferguson said of the pair, “Best of Days is just starting his career. He won well at Sandown and is a very good-looking horse and we believe is one with a future. Bear Valley has got bags of experience. He went and won his nursery well at Goodwood. He went up 13 pounds for that, so he is a horse that deserves to take his chance. We're excited about them both and hopefully they'll run well.”
Ten days after finishing runner-up to Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) in the G1 Phoenix S. at The Curragh, the Ballydoyle maiden Courage Under Fire (War Front) steps up in trip as he bids to uphold that form, while the China Horse Club's Lockheed (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) is another who scored at Glorious Goodwood. He may not have been impressive when winning a maiden over this course and distance July 30, but he is held in high regard by William Haggas and commands respect.
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