Timefigure preview: Ebor Festival

The Acomb Stakes, the opening Group race at the York Ebor meeting, looks wide open, with Persuasion heading the betting for Charlie Hills following his debut victory at Goodwood. That Goodwood maiden returned a good timefigure (97 adjusted) and has produced some smart performers in the last five years, including the same connections' 2014 winner Dutch Connection, who would go on to win the Acomb.

The one who makes the most appeal at this stage, however, is the Richard Fahey-trained Valdermoro. He showed up well on debut, finishing behind a couple of next-time-out winners, and didn’t need to step forward to get off the mark at the second time of asking at Doncaster.

In a race in which the betting suggested it was a match between himself and a Godolphin newcomer, it ultimately proved a rather one-sided event. A steadily run affair, which compromised the final time (90, debut timefigure 96), Valdermoro was better placed than that rival, but nevertheless quickly settled matters a furlong out, his closing sectionals, which are hard to establish at Doncaster, suggesting he’s value for more than the margin of victory.

The Great Voltiguer favourite, Logician, is sure to be popular, an unbeaten Frankel colt trained by John Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori. He made a mockery of his opening handicap mark last time, completing the hat-trick in the process, and while the timefigure (116) that day is some way short of the standard set by a couple, he’s clearly an exciting prospect who is well worth a try in this sort of company.

Constantinople is top on time, courtesy of his narrow second in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot (132). He still didn't look the finished article on that occasion, and it was a similar story when he was again narrowly beaten in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood last time, with the way he drfited in the closing stages possibly the difference between victory and defeat. The undulating track may have been partly responsible for his antics at Goodwood, but there is a suspicion that he might not be totally straightforward, which does temper enthusiasm somewhat.

🥉 Royal Ascot
🥈 July Festival
🥇 #GloriousGoodwood

The consistent and really likeable Nayef Road stays on strongest in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes for @SilvDSousa and @Johnston_Racing #QGF pic.twitter.com/pqzv7s8zQh

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 1, 2019

The small field and likely weak pace will probably result in a slow time, and Nayef Road, who won the Gordon Stakes, could be one to take advantage; he is likely to take up a more prominent position than the two ahead of him in the betting, and there is arguably no better judge of pace than his jockey Silvestre de Sousa.

With Enable heading to the Yorkshire Oaks, visitors to the Knavesmire on Wednesday for the Juddmonte International will miss out on a rematch to the thrilling King George, in which Crystal Ocean narrowly came off second best. The King George represents the best form and the best time (137), and a reproduction of either of his last two efforts will see him very tough to beat.

There are a number of challengers who boast better timefigures than King of Comedy (122) – including Lord Glitters (129) and Japan (129) – but it's John Gosden's charge who is fancied to emerge as the chief threat to Crystal Ocean. Having taken the same series of races as Without Parole last year, starting with victories in a minor event at Yarmouth and the Heron Stakes at Sandown, King of Comedy just failed to emulate his former stablemate and complete the hat-trick when second in the the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last time.

The St James's Palace Stakes was billed as a battle between Phoenix Of Spain and Too Darn Hot

But Ryan Moore, Aidan O'Brien and Circus Maximus didn't read the script 🏆#RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/H8rxFUsNjT

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 18, 2019

That performance was still noteworthy, though, with King of Comedy shaping much better than the bare result after being forced to deliver his challenge from further back than ideal in a steadily-run race, doing well under the circumstances to be beaten just a neck by the reopposing Circus Maximus. The timefigure was good, with his closing sectionals warranting significant upgrades, and few would argue that he was an unlucky loser on the day. He’ll obviously need to take another step forward to challenge Crystal Ocean, but there is certainly scope for further progress after only five starts, with the extra two furlongs here likely to prove well within his range.

Day two kicks off with the Lowther Stakes, in which Liberty Beach sets the standard on both form and time. John Quinn's charge stepped up on her fourth in the Queen Mary with victory in a listed race at Sandown, showing herself to be a potentially smart sprinter with an emphatic win in a fast time (119), and she confirmed that performance with a comfortable success in the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood last time, when she might have done even better but for the trouble in-running she encountered; with the extra furlong here unlikely to be an issue, she sets a high bar for her rivals to reach.

One horse who could prove capable of such improvement is the William Haggas-trained Wejdan, a debut winner at Newbury, where she was slowly away and came from off the pace (on the steady side) to nail one who’d shown up well on debut, the pair pulling clear of the remainder. The time (94) was nothing special, but this is often the case from lightly raced horses, and this slow time doesn’t stop her from being an exciting prospect.

Stradivarius bids to extend his unbeaten run to nine in Friday's Lonsdale Cup and is justifiably a short price to do so. He’s had a few new challengers this year, including Dee Ex Bee and Cross Counter, but hasn’t been asked to put up a performance near his best. His timefigures have also been lower than those he posted last year, with slow gallops in all three starts compromising the final time and probably masking his dominance over his rivals.

The Gimcrack Stakes could prove to be a very strong renewal should the front three in the betting – Monarch of Egypt, Threat and Royal Lytham – all show up. Monarch of Egypt has proved generally progressive in three starts to date, despite being beaten by the exciting Siskin the last twice, most recently when three quarters of a length behind that rival in the Phoenix Stakes (with Royal Lytham another head back in third). Each of those races have been steadily run, resulting in lowly timefigures and possibly playing more to the strengths of Siskin. With the likelihood of a truer pace, and no Siskin to contend with, we may yet see the best of him.

What a talent - still unbeaten, Siskin shows class and heart to fight off Monarch Of Egypt in a cracking @keeneland Phoenix Stakes. A first Irish Group 1 for @ctkjockey and @gerlyonsracing 👏 @curraghrace

Results ➡ https://t.co/glajGV55GR pic.twitter.com/qLkIsniKde

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 9, 2019

Royal Lytham led at a steady gallop in the Phoenix before being outpaced by his stablemate and Siskin when the race really got going. He was victorious the time before in the July Stakes (106), improving on his form and causing something of a surprise; he looks the sort to improve for a sounder gallop or a step up to seven furlongs, with a 3 lb penalty also making his life tough if lining up here.

Threat’s second in the Coventry is one of the faster timefigures recorded by this field (116), after which he was sent off a short-priced favourite for the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. He produced a similar level of form on that occasion as he did at Ascot, but ultimately failed to confirm the form with Golden Horde (who was ridden less efficiently at Ascot); the time at Goodwood was not particularly special, but he has achieved a lot in a short space of time and could go on improving.

The horse in the field with the best timefigure is Spartan Fighter, with his maiden success at Ripon producing a fast time (117), which looked even more outstanding in light of the closing sectionals. The runner-up that day A’Ali won the Norfolk Stakes and Prix Robert Papin on his next two starts, and while Spartan Fighter was far from impressive when winning a small-field minor event at York last time, he can pose a threat to the front three if belatedly building on the promise of his Ripon win.