Borderlescott has penalty claims in Palace House
The undercard at Newmarket looks interesting, especially the Group Three stanjames.com Palace House Stakes.
Total Gallery was one of the finds of last season as he progressed throughout the summer and proved himself a class sprinter when he won the Group One Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp on Arc day.
There is every reason to believe that he can be at the top of the list again this season but the conditions of this race do not work in his favour and he must concede an 8lb penalty to his rivals. Of those Amour Propre holds solid claims. He won this race last year but then ran badly at Royal Ascot before ending the season in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes, where he finished one-and-three-quarter lengths fifth to Borderlescott, who can win again here.
A horse who seems to go well fresh, Borderlescott’s chances are enhanced because his Group One victory falls outside the timeframe of penalty conditions for this race and that puts him clear on adjusted official ratings.
Jukebox Jury has not been so lucky and he must bear the burden of a 5lb penalty when he runs in the Group Two stanjames.com Jockey Club Stakes. The penalty is incurred for his win in a Group One race in Germany last September, but it is his run at Meydan, where he finished 15th of 16 in the Dubai Sheema Classic, that may be more of a worry.
It could have been nothing more than a combination of a first run of the season and faster ground, but there have been a few horses who have come back from Dubai this season who have not run up to form and so it may be worth opposing with Claremont, who also ran in Dubai, but showed no ill-effects when finishing a good third to Harbinger in the John Porter Stakes at Newbury two weeks ago.
The stanjames.com Suffolk Stakes looks suitably competitive and is often won by a horse who goes on to better things. Sir Michael Stoute won this race 12 months ago with Confront and his older horses have a 31% strike-rate this season.
The Stoute-trained Ithinkbest took time to get the idea but seems to be going the right way now, concluding last season with two in his final two starts, and the fact that he is around Freemason Lodge for another year is a pointer in itself.
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