ARIZONA TO BLAZE NUNTHORPE TRAIL  

By Adam Morgan, PA

No one is hotter than Adrian Murray at present and Arizona Blaze can keep his dream run rolling by blitzing the opposition in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes.

York's showpiece event looks a wide-open affair this year with crack two-year-old Lady Iman adding plenty of spice in trying to replicate the juvenile heroics of Kingsgate Native in 2007.

However, while Ger Lyons' raider brings youthful exuberance to the party, her compatriot from Ireland is beginning to look the consummate professional.

Always held in high regard and already a 15-race veteran, he built on a fine body of work last season - which peaked when runner-up at the Breeders' Cup in Del Mar - to become one of Ireland's leading sprinters this term.

Having put Guineas aspirations to the test early in the year, he returned to sprint trips to win in France in April before coming close to top honours at Royal Ascot, beaten just a neck by Time For Sandals in the Commonwealth Cup.

Returned to the minimum distance for his next outing, he advertised his star quality with an impressive victory over the reopposing Mgheera in the Group Two Sapphire Stakes.

That performance suggested he is ready for his crowning moment on a big stage and he already has course form having finished second at this meeting in a valuable sales race last year.

Trawlerman can confirm his dominant Royal Ascot display when he reappears in the Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup Stakes.

John and Thady Gosden's star stayer finally got his moment in the spotlight with an emphatic victory in the Gold Cup and it could easily be that his biggest challenger for the top spot in the division - Aidan O'Brien's Scandinavia - is heading to Doncaster for the St Leger next month.

Without O'Brien's Gold Cup runner-up Illinois in the line-up to keep Trawlerman honest, it could be a procession for the Clarehaven marathon man who has taken full advantage of the vacancy created by Kyprios' retirement earlier in the season.

In the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes, it may be worth taking a swing on Ralph Beckett's Egoli, whose career hit a bump on the undulations of Goodwood in the Richmond Stakes but is a course winner and returns to a track which suits his key attributes.

The son of No Nay Never looked all speed with a touch of class when striking both here and at Newbury and given a sound surface, he could cause a small surprise in a race without a standout candidate.

Trainers often hold a smart one back for the valuable British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes and John and Sean Quinn's Night Wolf could be the answer to this year's contest.

The son of Kodi Bear cost 160,000 guineas as a yearling and is a half-brother to Joseph O'Brien's Group Three winner Galen, so it will be interesting to see how he fares on his training team's home patch.

In the opening Sky Bet Handicap, Julie Camacho's Naqeeb can land what would be a popular local success returned to a mile and a half after knocking on the door over shorter at Goodwood, while it is hard to look past Zgharta in the Assured Data Protection EBF Fillies' Handicap.

Andrew Balding's daughter of Ghaiyyath races over 10 furlongs for the first time since winning at the distance at Newmarket in the spring, with that race reading well following some tidy exploits from the beaten horses since.

In the concluding Sky Bet Mile Handicap, Geoff Oldroyd's Big Leader takes the eye as he is unbeaten in three and could be severely underestimated.

Top tips for today’s UK meetings

TAB is betting on 5 UK meetings today. Here are the tips.

NEWMARKET: Race 1: 13.50 Thunder Blue, Race 2: 14.20 Elmonjed, Race 3: 15.00 Inis Mor,
Race 4: 15.35 Monoceros, Race 5: 16.10 Swiss Lightning, Race 6: 16.45 Arundel, Race 7: 17.20
Venezuelan.

YORK: Race 1: 14.50 Naqeeb, Race 2: 15.25 Trawlerman, Race 3: 16.00 Egoli, Race 4: 16.35
ARIZONA BLAZE (NAP), Race 5: 17.10 Zgharta, Race 6: 17.45 Night Wolf, Race 7: 18.20 Big
Leader.

FFOS LAS: Race 1: 15.10 Kentucky River, Race 2: 15.45 Lost Signal, Race 3: 16.20 Windsor Pass,
Race 4: 16.55 On A Vespa, Race 5: 17.30 The Pug, Race 6: 18.00 Rogue Justice.

GOODWOOD: Race 1: 18.15 Uncle Dick, Race 2: 18.48 Coconut Cove, Race 3: 19.18 Champagne
On Ice, Race 4: 19.48 Cecilia Star, Race 5: 20.18 The Coffee Pod, Race 6: 20.48 Rory Rocket.

HAMILTON: Race 1: 18.05 August George, Race 2: 18.35 Seren Star, Race 3: 19.05 Si Solus, Race
4: 19.35 Defiance, Race 5: 20.05 Brummell, Race 6: 20.35 Dandy Magic, Race 7: 21.05 Global
Effort.

ALL TO COME: Trawlerman and Arizona Blaze (York, Races 2 and 4).

For fields, race betting and more information go to www.tab.co.za