Illusion can turn on the magic in May Hill
John Gosden and the Sangster family combined to land the prize last year with subsequent Fillies’ Mile winner Playful Act and there is a decent chance this juvenile could be of similar class.
The daughter of Danehill made her debut in a hot maiden at Newbury, racing against the colts, where she finished a promising third behind Barry Hills’ highly-regarded Red Ash.
Pure Illusion built on that when travelling to Newmarket for her only other run, where she gave a decisive three-length beating to Eilean Ban.
That filly is thought to be decent too and franked the form by winning a good conditions event last time.
Pure Illusion has the ideal profile for this race and could be very hard to beat.
Michael Jarvis’ Iffraaj looks a good thing in the GNER Park Stakes.
The four-year-old put up an unexplainably-bad performance last time out in the Darley July Cup when trailing home 14th behind Pastoral Pursuits.
While he may not be up to Group One standard, the Zafonic colt is still better than that form and has the scope to replicate his emphatic Wokingham Stakes win on his penultimate start.
That two-length victory over Beckermet, who has since outpointed Haydock Sprint Cup third Ashdown Express at Newbury, left the lasting impression he still has a Group race in him at some stage this season.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Distinction gets the nod in the GNER Doncaster Cup.
Stoute’s six-year-old is on a revenge mission after he was beaten by Millenary when sent off an odds-on chance in the Lonsdale Cup at the Ebor meeting.
The two go head-to-head again but that form is taken to be reversed on quicker ground and over a longer trip.
Willie Muir’s Texas Gold has been a model of consistency this term and deserves Listed honours in the Earth Mortgages Scarborough Stakes.
The seven-year-old gelding has racked up two victories on the spin over the minimum trip and was most impressive when winning the toteexacta Sprint Stakes at Epsom with quite a bit in hand.
The fast ground on Town Moor will be ideal, while Kieren Fallon’s appointment is hardly a negative.
