Whirl out to confirm Elite Status in Musidora
LAST week’s Derby trials saw an Aidan O’Brien whitewash, with both trials at Chester and Lingfield as well as Sunday’s Leopardstown Derby Trial going the way of the all-conquering Master of Ballydoyle.
York’s three-day meeting, which begins on Wednesday, includes the final trials with the fillies getting a chance to put forward their claims for the Oaks in Wednesday’s Musidora Stakes (3.45pm) while the colts have their opportunity in Thursday’s Dante Stakes.
O’Brien has only won the Musidora once in the last 10 years – a low return by his standards – in 2021 with Snowfall, who went on to be a hugely impressive Oaks winner.
Whether WHIRL is of that level is debatable, but she comes here with a reappearance run under her belt and should be primed for this.
She appeared to get outpaced at the Curragh last time and looks set to relish this step up in trip to 10 furlongs.
She’s clearly not short of class either, having won a Group Three as a two-year-old, and she looks a great bet against the field here.
Smoken could well be a high-class filly for Ralph Beckett but his runners have been slow to come to hand this season and she might lack the sharpness of the Ballydoyle filly.
At 3/1, Whirl is the one for me and she can land yet another trial win for O’Brien and Ryan Moore.
Before the Musidora, the Duke Of York Stakes (3.13pm) provides a chance to see last year’s Commonwealth Cup winner Inisherin return to action.
Moore is in the plate for the first time aboard the Kevin Ryan-trained four-year-old who is making his first start after a wind operation in the off-season.
He’s the one to beat but there’s enough for me to take him on at the prices, especially as his form tailed off dramatically towards the end of last season and he did look to need his first run back.
Night Raider is another horse that is held in high regard, but he is yet to prove himself as good on turf, being naught-from-three on grass as opposed to four-from-four on the all-weather.
ELITE STATUS might be a horse that is best caught fresh, having won twice on his seasonal debut in the past.
Following his reappearance win last season, he returned after a break of 63 days to win the Group Three Hackwood Stakes at Newbury, beating Lake Forest and Kind Of Blue.
That’s excellent form, with Lake Forest going on to land the ultra-competitive Golden Eagle conditions race in Australia on his next start and Kind Of Blue finishing the season with a Group One success on British Champions Day at Ascot.
Karl Burke has expressed his hope that Elite Status can make up into a Group One horse this season, and with fast ground conditions at York set to suit, I make him a bet at 4/1.
Michael Dods’ runners are always to be noted in big sprint handicaps, and he has two set to take their chance in the Churchill Tyres Handicap (2.42pm) in Commanche Falls and GLENFINNAN.
The first is a grand old campaigner and has a good record at York, but it’s Glenfinnan that I’m most interested in after an eye-catching reappearance at Doncaster.
He was badly hampered there when just beginning a run at the furlong pole, with his rider forced to firmly rein him back, yet he still was only beaten less than five lengths at the line.
He’s now only a pound higher in the handicap than when winning at Sandown last season and should get an ideal fast pace to aim at here, so everything looks set for a big run at 16/1.
POINTERS WEDNESDAY
Glenfinnan e/w 2.42pm York
Elite Status 3.13pm York
Whirl 3.45pm York