weekend previews
It's September and the time of reckonings across Europe's racing programme, with the first two weekends witnessing some crucial deciders ahead of year-end honours. It is fair to say that the sprint scene has been murky for a while and so Saturday's G1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock takes on extra gravity. Success for Lazzat (Territories) will help clear the picture and if it is a clear-cut one it could even seal his title as champion sprinter, so it is only normal that trainer Jerome Reynier is feeling the heat....
Saturday, York, post time: 15:00, THE SKY BET CITY OF YORK STAKES-G1, £665,000, 3yo/up, 7fT Field: Annaf (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}), Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), Lake Forest (GB) (No Nay Never), Never So Brave (Ire) (No Nay Never), Qirat (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), Quinault (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Ten Bob Tony (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Maranoa Charlie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Seagulls Eleven (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}), Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). TDN Verdict: If Rosallion gives his best, few here will be able to live with...
Sprinters young and old hold sway this weekend, with the juveniles centre stage on Saturday in the G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes before the hardened category specialists take over in the G1 ARC Prix Maurice de Gheest 24 hours later. In the former contest, Aidan O'Brien looks set to add an 18th renewal with either the Coventry winner Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) or the Queen Mary winner True Love (No Nay Never) having missed out in six of the last seven. Gstaad and True Love's powerhouse performances at Royal Ascot set them apart...
Saturday, Lingfield, post time: 15:35, WILLIAM HILL CHARTWELL FILLIES' STAKES-G3, £90,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 7fT Field: Great Generation (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), Fair Angellica (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}), Jabaara (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), Spiritual (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Ziggy's Dream (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}), Cathedral (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). TDN Verdict: Cathedral takes on her elders, getting a significant weight-for-age advantage which could give her the edge despite her inexperience. Second in the G3 Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket in October, she had two of this season's...