Who needs Workforce? Twice Over, who has long been one of Sir Henry Cecil’s favourite horses, can reach a career milestone on Knavesmire tomorrow by pushing his prize money earnings through the £2 million barrier by winning the feature race on the card.
The £100,000 Sky Bet York Stakes is the target for the ten-times winner, who has notched three Group 1 triumphs, including back-to-back runnings of Newmarket’s Champion Stakes in the last two seasons.
Twice Over followed that up by winning at Group 2 level at Meydan, in Dubai, back in March, but his two performances since on domestic soil have been below his high standard, even allowing for the fact he took on crack rivals in Group 1 races at Newbury and Royal Ascot in showpieces won by Canford Cliffs and Rewilding respectively.
There is, then, an element of Twice Over, now a six-year-old, figuring at a career cross-roads. Tomorrow’s Group 2 challenge, however, offers him the opportunity to put himself right back on track and bolster his enormous earnings, which stand at more than £1,970,000.
He faces some stiff opposition, including Newmarket winner Dominant and decent challengers from the Sir Michael Stoute yard, Class Is Class and Eleonora Duse, for whom Stoute has interestingly secured the services of the two northern jockeys currently dominating the championship, Paul Hanagan and Silvestre de Sousa.
Twice Over, though, is a proven class act. He can prove it tomorrow under Tom Queally on Knavesmire by becoming a double-millionaire for his owner, Khalid Abdulla, whose colours will also be carried at Ascot in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes by Workforce.
The day’s outstanding highlight, the King George brings together Workforce, winner of last year’s Derby and Arc, with Aidan O’Brien’s Coronation Cup winner St Nicholas Abbey, Godolphin’s Royal Ascot hero Rewilding and the fast-improving three-year-old Nathanial, who has been supplemented for this contest at a cost of £75,000 to his owners.
If Workforce is back to the form he showed at the heights of his powers last year, he should have the measure of his rivals.
Back at York and the Sky Bet Dash over six furlongs is the target for Hoof It to resume winning ways.
The Mick Easterby-trained sprinter, part-owned by top golfer Lee Westwood, was seventh when a beaten favourite in the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot last month, but he had previously won impressively over this course and distance. Back to his best, he will be hard to beat, even with top weight.
Easterby can also win the opening Sky Bet Mobile For iPhone Nursery with Risky Art, a beaten favourite at Thirsk, but an impressive debut winner at Carlisle. She looks handily weighted in her first handicap and is awarded the nap vote.
On what promises to be a cracking afternoon on the penultimate day of the Yorkshire Racing Summer Festival, a note should also be made of French recruit Love Over Gold (2.30), who ran so well on her British debut at Salisbury, and Powerful Presence (5.20), who has lived up to his name since David O’Meara bought him.
Racing selections
York (today)
6.00 Trumpington Street, 6.30 Nomoreblondes, 7.00 Holy Roman Warrior, 7.30 Sajjhaa, 8.00 Comedy Act, 8.30 Crimson Cloud.
Today’s other meetings
Ascot, Chepstow, Newmarket, Southwell and Thirsk.
Ascot (tomorrow)
1.30 Discovery Bay, 2.05 Pearl Charm, 2.40 Russeliana, 3.15 Mariachi Man, 3.50 Excellent Guest, 4.30 Workforce, 5.40 Aiken.
York (tomorrow)
2.00 Risky Art (NAP), 2.30 Love Over Gold, 3.05 Twice Over, 3.40 Hoof It, 4.10 Lady Loch, 4.45 Bollin Judith, 5.20 Powerful Presence.
Tomorrow’s other meetings
Ascot, Lingfield, Newcastle, Newmarket and Salisbury.
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