There’s an open feel to the Group-One Sun Chariot Stakes this year. Favourites have a good record in the race with Integral and Sky Lantern landing the odds in recent years, yet Andre Fabre’s Esoterique (5/4) looks a shade vulnerable given her best form – winning the Prix Jacque Le Marois – has come over shorter trips. I rate course form highly at Newmarket and her fourth in last year’s renewal casts a shadow over her chances.
Despite her trainer’s claim she wants good ground, the current good to firm conditions might not help her chances or that of many of these. Connections of Bawina, Fadhayyil, Irish Rookie and Maimara won’t have anticipated this when targeting the race, which slims the field right down.
Despite taking this last year, Integral is hopelessly out of form and unbackable at 4/1, particularly as the firm ground was blamed for her dud performance at Royal Ascot. I also can’t find a reason to believe another quick ground specialist, Raydara, is overpriced at 20/1.
The two that leap out – the only two left – are Realtra (14/1) and Malabar (25/1) who, both three-year-olds, have won Group Threes in eye-catching fashion this summer and look set to be allowed to go off at big prices.
A switch of yards has worked wonders for the former, with Roger Varian’s filly relishing quick ground and arriving in the form of her life after winning a very competitive race at Doncaster (Fadhayyil 4th). She hung badly right but won with plenty in hand on the day and can go well again.
The latter won really well at Glorious Goodwood and has been discounted by bookmakers on the back of an unsuccessful raid on a dirt race at Belmont, USA. With such obvious excuses in the surface and trip, I don’t see why she can’t return to her best form back on turf with conditions and trip to suit.
Given their age, they’re more entitled to improvement than most of these and, with conditions to favour and form in the book, both can outrun their odds.
1pt win Realtra @14/1, Newmarket 15:30, Saturday (Various)
1pt win Malabar @25/1, Newmarket 15:30, Saturday (RaceBets)