Ryan Moore and Content have another Group One opportunity to get their timing spot on in Thursday’s Pertemps Yorkshire Oaks.
There haven’t been too many races this season that the in-form Moore might like another crack at but last month’s Irish Oaks probably qualifies.
In an unusually large classic field, and on Content’s first try at 1½ miles, the English jockey was understandably keen to take his time.
However, from looking to be in position ‘A’ tracking the eventual winner You Got To Me, Moore encountered traffic problems on the rail and, crucially, had to sit and bide his time at a critical point in the straight.
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By the time Content was in the clear, You Got To Me was making the best of her way home and, although Aidan O’Brien’s filly closed the gap to three parts of a length at the line, it left a frustrating sense of ‘what if’ about the outcome.
An answer to that could come in the Day Two Ebor festival highlight at York where Content once again tackles You Got To Me.
They are part of a three-year-old quartet taking on four older fillies and mares in a contest that has heavily favoured the classic generation in the last decade.
Only the subsequent Arc heroine Alpinista has interrupted O’Brien’s dominance in the last four years and the Irishman also runs his Ribblesdale winner Port Fairy against an older squad headed by the Gosden pair, Emily Upjohn and Queen Of The Pride.
It wasn’t just that Irish Oaks display that suggested Content has one of these top-flight prizes in her when circumstances eventually fall her way.
Nothing finished faster than her when coming from well off the pace at last year’s Breeders’ Cup while she didn’t enjoy an entirely trouble-free run either when third to Bluestocking in the Pretty Polly this summer.
However, having proven her ability to properly get 1½ miles, a certain tactical versatility is open to Moore that could prove critical for the chances of the sister to exciting juvenile Bedtime Story.
Heavens Gate comfortably scooped the lucrative Ballyhane Stakes at Naas on her last start and will fly the flag for Ballydoyle in Thursday’s opening Group Two Lowther Stakes.
Based on her previous two efforts in Group company, that victory in a restricted contest was hardly a surprise although Heavens Gate faces a much sterner task in a field that contains the unbeaten Queen Mary winner Leovanni.
Thursday’s card also includes the hugely valuable Goffs Premier Yearling Sales race that includes Adrian Murray’s topweight Arizona Blaze.
He brings placed Group One form from the Phoenix Stakes to the restricted contest and the form of the Curragh race has been quickly boosted through Whistlejacket’s Prix Morny success at the weekend.
“He’s going with a great chance and if he runs to his best form, he should be bang there,” said Murray. “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.”
Ryan Moore teams up with Jesscia Harrington for Satin who is close to top-rated officially for the Listed Galtres Stakes.
Harrington’s No 1 rider Shane Foley is at Leopardstown for half a dozen rides including Kinesiology in a featured Listed contest, the Vinnie Roe Stakes.
Thursday evening’s most valuable domestic contest is Killarney’s €45,000 handicap hurdle which looks a good opportunity for topweight Mighty Tom to repeat a course and distance success in 2023.
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