Dahlia Stakes
A small field of six runners
Passage of Time has 4 stars
Harvest Queen & Heaven Sent have 3 stars each.
If looks won races Passage of Time would win this hands down. I saw her before the Musidora last year & she is the most beautiful filly and no mug either. After winning that trial she flopped in the Oaks but needed treatment for a throat abcess & returned to run cracking thirds in the Prix Vermielle & the Breeders Cup Fillies & Mares.
Way in front of these on Earnings & F/C ratings she is the class act in the field.
However this could be one of those small field, muddling pace races & that coupled with the drop back in trip & a best price of 6/4 has me leaving this alone.
Harvest Queen progressed from handicaps to listed races last season. Shes had one try beyond a mile over 9f at Epsom & didn't get home. Not beaten far in the Group1 Sun Chariot here on her last run but needs to find a bit more.
Heaven Sent is the one that puts me off backing Passage of Time.
Another who moved up from handicaps last season to have some decent placed form at Listed/Group level. A winner of a weak looking Listed contest at Kempton FTO she's the sort of older horse that Stoutey squeezes more improvement out of. She has though still a bit to find to get to Passage of Times level & I'm sitting this one out.
2000 Guineas.
Ibn Khaldun & New Approach both have 4 stars.
Unusually nothing else has more than 1 star.
New Approach has the best form in the book winning all five starts, all over 7f & on all sorts of ground. Battled on well to take the Dewhurst from the absent here Fast Company & Ravens Pass who had travelled really well but had found the ground just on the soft side.
The unbeaten 2yo often doesn't train on & while a mile should be no problem at the price he has too many questions still to answer for me.
Ibn Khaldun improved in leaps & bounds last year ending up winning the Racing Post Trophy so we know he gets the trip. Also goes on any ground & said to have worked well in Dubai he looks the type to make a 3yo & at the prices appeals the most.
Of the rest, Ravens Pass looked a world beater in the Solario but then was it the ground in the Dewhurst? Also got worried out of it FTO in the Craven & may be one thats needs it all to go his way.
Henrythenavigator may have been best as a 2yo & is held by New Approach anyway.
Stimulation battled well to win the Free Handicap FTO but this is a big step up here.
The rest could be anything or nothing on what they've do so far so it's Ibn Khaldun for me.
Bet. Ibn Khaldun 40pts @ 9/2 Skybet.
Rio.