held up in touch, shaken up 3f out, stayed on to chase winner inside final furlong, no impression
chased leaders, led over 1f out, kept on well
always behind
anticipated start and broke well, led, headed briefly over 2f out, soon ridden, headed over 1f out, weakened inside final furlong
Hala Bek makes his eagerly anticipated re-appearance here following two years off the track but the fact Frankie Dettori has opted to partner Fairmile probably says all you need to know, that being to expect Hala Bek to improve for this. We are going to side with the three year old in the field, Ancient Lights to cause what could potentially be a minor upset. Henry Cecil's charge made a big impression on his racecourse debut, justifying the strong reputation that preceded him. Having travelled extremely well, he only needed to be shaken up to land pull away from his rivals, the second of which has since landed an ordinary maiden. This High Chapperal colt bypassed a potential engagement in the King Edward Stakes at Royal Ascot and connections have opted to take up this engagement instead of commencing in handicap company at York on Friday. Their decision can be justified here. Fairmile makes his seasonal debut here. Disqualified having tested positive for a prohibited substance having landed a York conditions event last backend. He has rather struggled since stepping out of handicap company though and he could not be recommended at skinny prices. Hala Bek looked the likely winner of the 2005 Epsom Derby until throwing away his chances when drifting right inside the final furlong. That renewal we now know was one of the weakest in recent years but he was a horse who displayed so much potential back then that if any of his raw ability was retained he could still be a force to be reckoned with. Soft Morning, like many from Heath House, improved steadily throughout last season but horses from the Prescott yard are known to need an outing to leave them spot on. Ancient Lights is given the vote to land the feature contest of the day.
