Heavens open to improvement
Michael Bell's Set To Music is marginal favourite and she returned to winning ways when scoring at Warwick last time. Prior to that she was beaten by one of today's rivals, Shimmering Surf, over course and distance.
That race was run on good to firm ground and there is a case to say that the winner got first run over the runner-up, who found a little trouble in the homestraight.
However, there isn't a lot between them and there's no striking value with either.
Mohedian Lady was a close fourth in the Haydock race and even though she's a 12-1 chance, wherever Set To Music and Shimmering Surf finish, she shouldn't be very far away.
Trainer Mikael Delzangles, who sends Aquamarine across from his French base, should have a handle on the form as he trained Molly Malone to finish a close third in the same Haydock race.
On what the stable-companions have achieved in their respective careers to date, today's runner would appear to have a slight edge.
But there is not enough between the two to expect that her claims are outstanding in this company, and she doesn't make any great appeal at 7-1.
Salford Art ran a peculiar race when finishing fourth behind the Dermot Weld-trained Princess Highway in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot. Prominent early, she lost her place before struggling to go the pace in the middle of the race. But she finished best off all, belying odds of 100-1 to take fourth.
She is officially highest rated of the three-year-olds in today's race but despite the visual impression, I'd question that Ascot run and would still consider the daughter of Sir Percy an unlikely stayer at this trip.
Therefore, the two I'm most keen to concentrate on are John Gosden's Great Heavens and Ed Dunlop's ex-French horse Testosterone.
Testosterone was making her debut for Dunlop when finishing way out the back in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, won by Sea Moon.
But there was much more to the effort than the bare result suggests.
Johnny Murtagh sent the filly to the front early and despite racing a bit too keenly in the early stages, she had a number of her rivals, including 2011 Irish Derby winner Treasure Beach, in trouble as she turned for home.
She was beaten soon after and quickly eased by jockey Johnny Murtagh. Prior to that race, her trainer unequivocally stated that she had her problems and would be much better for the run.
If that’s is taken literally, the run can be seen in a positive light. She got a real blowout in a race she should have had little chance in, regardless, and she showed real ability for quite a long way.
Back against her own sex and with the benefit of the run under her belt, it’s reasonable to expect a much improved effort this afternoon.
Arguably her best performance of 2011, when trained by Pascal Bary in France, came when she finished second behind French Oaks runner-up Galikova in the Group One Prix Vermeille.
Great Heavens has had just three runs to date but she's progressing at a rate of knots and is well worth her place in this company.
Fifth on her only start as a two-year-old, she clearly improved over the summer, winning on her comeback in a 12-furlong Yarmouth maiden that has worked out quite well.
The second and third from that race have both gone on to win a maiden, and Great Heavens herself successfully stepped up to Listed level when winning at Newbury last month.
She may have got the run of the race from the front on the latter occasion but she's very much in the mould of her lightly raced but talented dam, Magnificient Style, who led all the way and picked up really well to win the Group 3 Musidora in her three-year-old season.
The ground shouldn't be an issue as this daughter of Galileo has won in heavy conditions, while her dam's finest hour came on good-to-firm going. Also, her three-parts sister, Playful Act, won this race on her seasonal debut back in 2005, despite never having run over the trip previously.
Great Heavens has an awful lot going for her but if there’s one concern - and it’s only a minor one - it’s that she may not get her own way up front.
She’s a really tough sort, open to further improvement and she may well be able to lead her rivals a merry dance. At odds of 9-2, she looks pretty good value and is taken to emulate her half-sibling by repelling all-comers.
Testosterone may need another run or two to reach the peak of her form but she is the one runner in the race with placed form in Group 1 company and a small saver on her makes some sense.
