started very slowly, held up in rear, under pressure halfway, headway well over 1f out, never on terms
held up in touch, lost place over 4f out, some headway over 2f out, weakened final furlong
tracked leader, took keen hold, ridden to challenge over 2f out, hung right under pressure inside final furlong, kept on same pace
tracked leader, took keen hold, effort over 2f out, ran green and one pace
tracked leader, led over 2f out, soon driven, ran on well
slowly away, behind and reluctant, soon tailed off and eased
led and took keen hold, headed over 2f out, rallied approaching final furlong, soon weakened
As with any maiden, market support should be noted, and with little form to go on, we'll tentatively side with EASTERN ARIA, to get the better of Lyric Art and Air Maze. Mark Johnston and Greg Fairley have an excellent strike rate here, and Eastern Aria was runner up on debut after racing keenly, and is entitled to improve for that run. Lyric Art was finishing really well last time out here after missing the start, and the step up from seven furlongs to a mile should be seen as a positive, which would allow for any mistakes at the start to be rectified. Connections paid 110,000 Guineas for her as a yearling, and will be expecting a return soon. Air Maze cost even more, and the 600,000 Euros paid for her will need to be justified in time. Just beaten by an odds on shot on debut at Wolverhampton, this sort of contest should be well within her scope. Willie Haggas knows how to win this sort of contest, and comes here with the American Destination Unknown as his only runner on the card, but she didn't impress on debut. Appelouse has had one outing before, finishing well down the field in a Wetherby bumper in December. It would be a minimum stakes race for us, with the money going on Eastern Aria.
Appelouse 28-1 (10-5) Mid-division, ridden over 4f out, no impression final 2f, 6th of 15, 29l behind Stopped Out (10-5) at Wetherby 1m 5f nhf (5) sft in Dec (N.Hunt).
Johnston's Baby (IRE) 16-1 (9-1) In touch, raced keenly, lost place over 5f out, headway 3f out, led over 1f out, headed entering final furlong, one pace, 3rd of 10, 3 1/2l behind Eighteenfifty (9-6) at W'hampton 1m 4f mdn stk (5) pol.
Air Maze 4-1 (8-8) In touch, led after 1f, ridden over 2f out, headed approaching final furlong, kept on same pace, 2nd of 11, 3/4l behind Desert Bump (8-8) at W'hampton 7f mdn fll (5) pol in Jan.
Destinationunknown (USA) 8-1 (8-2) Slowly into stride, ridden and some progress over 2f out, not reach leaders, 5th of 9, 7l behind Syrinx (8-2) at Kempton 7f mdn stk (5) pol in Jan.
Eastern Aria (UAE) 7-2 (8-12) Led after 1f, hung right, and ran wide bend, and headed into the final 2f, ridden and rallied inside final furlong, kept on, 2nd of 8, 2l behind Mutamaashi (9-3) at Lingfield 1m 3yo mdn (5) pol.
Kilsyth (IRE) 80-1 (8-9) Steadied soon after start, always in rear after, 9th of 11, 16l behind Fulham Broadway (9-3) at W'hampton 6f 2yo mdn (5) pol in Oct.
Lyric Art (USA) 11-2 (8-5) Prominent, ridden along when outpaced halfway, headway over 1f out, ran on final furlong, 2nd of 12, nk behind Boss Hog (9-8) at Southwell 7f mdn stk (5) fbs.
