Alyanaabi to take Steventon success

Alyanaabi can make good use of the weight he receives from his elders on his first attempt over 2000m in the Get Best Odds Guaranteed At BetVictor Steventon Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

A smart two-year-old, he found only the Derby and Eclipse winner City Of Troy too good in the generation-defining Dewhurst at the end of the season.

This year, understandably, connections have had a crack at the best around.

He began his season in the 2000 Guineas and was far from disgraced when fourth to Notable Speech, beaten 4.75-lengths, and he was the same distance behind Rosallion in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

That has forced Owen Burrows to go up in trip as it was apparent he was just below the best at 1600m.

Alyanaabi's sire, Too Darn Hot, has had progeny who stay a bit further than he did and while his dam was unraced, there have been members of his family who found 2000m no problem and the 9lb he gets from his elders seems a lot.

Clive Cox has always excelled with sprinters and he has some smart ones currently.

He runs two in the Fidelity Energy Hackwood Stakes in Diligent Harry and the three-year-old James's Delight, with preference for the younger horse.

He arrives on the crest of a wave, having won a valuable handicap at York and a Listed race in France.

Regional sets the standard having been runner-up at Royal Ascot but the 5lb James's Delight gets off him looks generous given he is only rated 4lb his inferior and we know the older sprinters do not set a very high bar.

Oisin Murphy was booked earlier in the week for Hugo Palmer's It Ain't Two in the Weatherbys Super Sprint.

He rode the filly last time out when she ran well to finish second in Listed company at Sandown, yet due to the weights of this race being determined by purchase price and It Ain't Two having cost just 10,000 guineas, she is near the bottom of the weights despite being one of the highest rated.

Waleefy is a half-brother to the brilliant Baaeed and while he will not be reaching those heights, he might be worth siding with in the Adnams Pink Gin Gallop Handicap at Newmarket after winning at the fourth time of asking.

Victorious by a neck on his handicap debut off a mark of 76, he has been raised 3lb but William Haggas will not be too disappointed by that.

Dutch Decoy won the Lettergold Handicap last season off a mark of 90 and is back again this year from 3lb lower.

While his last couple of runs have been underwhelming, he loves the July course.

Mistral Star drops in grade for the Ric And Mary Hambro Aphrodite Fillies' Stakes after a good run in a Group Three last time out and she can return to winning ways.

Sea King was given a very canny ride by Paul Mulrennan when winning by 0.75-lengths at Ayr earlier this month, but the jockey is against him this time in the Ripon Bell-Ringer Handicap.

Mulrennan is on Palmer's L'Astronome as Luke Morris gets back on Sea King and with Sir Mark Prescott in red-hot form, Sea King is taken to continue his improvement.

It is Market Rasen's big day and dual-purpose performer Kihavah can go well in the Unibet Daily Industry Best Prices Summer Handicap Hurdle, while Soul Icon looks sure to be involved in the Unibet Summer Plate.

At the Curragh, Lope De Lilas can break new ground for champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks.

While Mullins has won the Irish St Leger, the fact that is open to older horses means it is not a traditional Classic, but this one certainly is.

She was wildly impressive at Leopardstown has was subsequently bought by Wathnan Racing. - Press Association

SELECTIONS:

CARTMEL: 14.40 Sam's Amour, 15.15 Our Zebo, 15.50 Minella Youngy, 16.25 Where's Bunny, 17.00 Vocito, 17.35 Hurricane Ali, 18.10 Culligran.

CURRAGH: 14.30 Dakota Blue, 15.00 Shimmy Jimmy, 15.35 My Mate Alfie, 16.05 Makarova, 16.40 Lope De Lilas, 17.15 Tower Of London, 17.50 Siege Of Troy, 18.25 Castanets.

DONCASTER: 18.45 Exceed Now, 19.15 Angelica Bay, 19.45 Moakadd, 20.15 Celeborn, 20.45 Summer Of Love, 21.15 Ehtiram, 21.45 Crown's Lady.

HAYDOCK: 19.25 Beautiful Crown, 19.55 Persian Blue, 20.30 Olympus Point, 21.00 Vicario, 21.30 Islanova, 22.00 Thewind Cries Mary.

MARKET RASEN: 14.35 Gale Mahler, 15.05 Happy Boy, 15.40 Kihavah, 16.15 Soul Icon, 16.50 Stroll On By, 17.25 Belle Of Annandale, 18.00 Easy Bucks.

NEWBURY: 14.50 ALYANAABI (NAP), 15.25 Kyle Of Lochalsh, 16.00 James's Delight, 16.35 It Ain't Two, 17.10 Brave Mission, 17.45 Fior Di Bosco, 18.20 Sunfall.

NEWMARKET: 17.20 Waleefy, 17.55 Timefall, 18.30 Lir Speciale, 19.00 Dutch Decoy, 19.35 Mistral Star, 20.05 Speed Court.

RIPON: 15.10 Ziggy's Triton, 15.45 Flowstate, 16.20 Up The Jazz, 16.55 Sea King, 17.30 Pumalin Park, 18.05 Shark Two One.