Trainer William Haggas © Photo Healy Racing
William Haggas is hoping to record back-to-back victories in the British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes at York on Thursday with quality filly Sea Just In Time.
The Somerville Lodge handler saddled the Yorkshire Oaks-bound Sea Theme to claim this prize 12 months ago, while this year’s contender is sure to be a warm order having bounced back to winning ways at Kempton earlier this month.
An impressive victor on debut at Newmarket earlier this season, she failed to give a true reflection of her ability when upped to Listed level for her second start.
With confidence restored in good style at Kempton 15 days ago, the daughter of Sea The Stars — who was seen as a potential Classic hope earlier in the year — gets a second chance to add a stakes race to her CV in this mile-and-a-half Listed event.
Haggas said: “She seems absolutely fine and she takes her racing quite hard.
“She obviously didn’t run properly at Goodwood, but she ran well on her debut at Newmarket and then ran nicely in a race she should have won if she is going to be any good at Kempton — and hopefully she will run a nice race at York.
“She’s a nicely-bred filly, who is not very big but a very genuine filly. You obviously hope they can make stakes class but she’s pretty useful and we just don’t know how useful yet.”
In the Harry’s Half Million By Goffs Premier Yearling Stakes, Irish raider Arizona Blaze looks the class angle in the race.
Adrian Murray’s consistent son of Sergei Prokofiev has been a regular in Group race company this term, placing in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and finishing no worse than third in six starts.
“He’s going with a great chance and if he runs to his best form, he should be bang there,” said Murray.
“We’re very happy with him and he’s in good order and all is well with him.
“He’s been so consistent and he’s a tough horse. His races seem to take nothing out of him and he is as fresh the next day as he was the day before. He’s tough.
“Fingers crossed, we get a good run and pick up some prize-money.”
Richard Hannon has won this five times in the last 10 years and teams up with Middleham Park Racing to run An Outlaw’s Grace, another to perform at a high level of late.
There would be no more popular winner than Maw Lam, with Adrian Nicholls and Hollie Doyle teaming up in search of a cut of the swelling prize pot.
Third behind Leovanni at Royal Ascot, she was last seen going down by the barest of margins in a Listed race in France and her handler admits it would be a dream to see her get her head in front at one of his local tracks.
“She’s in good order and her form is rock solid,” said Nicholls.
“Everyone knows these sales races don’t always work out how the form book says and you can get surprise results, but her run in France was very good.
“Hollie is back on her and I was keen to get someone who had ridden her before, it’s good to have her back on and she rode her in the Queen Mary.
“It’s very exciting for us to have a favourite in such a big race at York and I wouldn’t be swapping her. Obviously there are some good horses in there and you respect the Amo Racing horse (Arizona Blaze) and Middleham Park’s horse (An Outlaw’s Grace), who are going in with similar credentials.
“You can be as confident as you can be, but there are 21 going there for a pot you rarely get to race for and is worth more than some Group Ones, so there are plenty of others in there trying to scupper my party — but I wouldn’t be swapping her.”
