Sea Of Class romped to success in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York on the second day of the Ebor meeting.
She is still improving too which is very exciting should she line up in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, for which bookies now go around 4-1 favourite. As a three-year-old filly, the race favours her in terms of weight allowances and as we’ve seen in recent years that can make all the difference.
Meanwhile, Aidan O’Brien confirmed that the virus that has run through his yard which has resulted in some surprising defeats for his horses, is the worst he’s faced at Ballydoyle.
Apparently they’ve come through the eye of the storm and are out the other side, but it means his horses are lacking fitness. That’s worth bearing in mind now, but more importantly there could be value in some of his horses this autumn, particularly if they’ve been carrying a bug when running this summer. Look out for them at Ascot, Longchamp and perhaps at the Breeders’ Cup.
As for Friday, it’s all about Stradivarius in the Lonsdale Cup.
If he wins, he’ll score a million pound bonus for winning four of the top staying races of the season. He won the Yorkshire Cup earlier in the season before wins at Ascot in the Gold Cup and then the Goodwood Cup. He is no sort of price from a betting perspective but you might just witness a bit of history.
Max Dynamite won the race in 2015 and at 22/1 he could sneak a place in first time headgear, but the story is likely to be all about Stradivarius.