Given the strong form that he has to his name, Dubai Station looks cracking value at the 10/1 offer with 888Sport in the 6f Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes for juvenile colts on day three of the Ebor Festival at York this Friday (15:00).
After shaping with bags of promise when a three-quarters of a length runner-up to subsequent dual winner Oh Purple Reign on debut at Nottingham, this Karl Burke trained son of Brazen Beau opened his account in good style at Haydock when winning eased down by a length.
That taking success earned him a crack at the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and Dubai Station acquitted himself with great credit in finishing a three-length third of 15 to A’ali.
Jamie Spencer held him up well off the pace in the early stages, but he then made good headway approaching the final furlong and powered home to be gaining all the way to the line.
It was a very eye-catching effort and the form has been boosted as the winner has gone on to land the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin at Deauville in France.
Dubai Station has had just one start since and that saw him finish a never nearer 4 1/2 lengths third to Earthlight in a Group 3 at Deauville when given too much to do in a muddlingly run affair.
Given that Eathrlight has since made it four from four by beating the very smart Raffle Prize in the Group 1 Prix Morny at the same venue to confirm himself a leading contender for next year’s 2000 Guineas, it was a fine run in defeat and makes Dubai Station a big player in this.
Threat the obvious danger
Threat heads the betting at 15/8 with Unibet and may live up to his name by giving Dubai Sation most to think about.
This Cheveley Park Stud owned son of Footstepsinthesand, who hails from the yard of Richard Hannon, made a winning debut at Newmarket when beating Electrical Storm in fine style by 2 1/4 lengths.
Threat then ran a blinder when stepped into Group 2 companion and staying on strongly to finish a half-length runner-up to Arizona in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.
He has since been beaten three-quarters of a length by Golden Horde when sent off a heavily-backed 11/8 favourite for the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
That form doesn’t look shabby at the winner has since finished a fine 2 3/4 lengths third to the aforementioned Earthlight in the Prix Morny.
However, on a line through the exciting Godolphin colt, there’s not that much between Threat and Dubai Station. Hence the latter looks each-way value at the odds on offer.
Scarlet Dragon weighted to go well in Ebor Festival day 3 opener
Having returned to form last time out, Scarlet Dragon looks a lively outsider in the 1m 4f handicap that gets proceedings underway on a cracking six-race card (13:55).
This Alan King trained six-year-old is a course winner who has an overall win and place strike rate of just under 39 per cent on the level.
The son of Derby winner Sir Percy hasn’t won on the Flat since landing a 16-runner contest at Newmarket back in October 2016 off a mark of 100, but has posted some very solid efforts in defeat.
They include when a 7 1/2 lengths third to the top class Crystal Ocean in last year’s Group 3 Aston Park Stakes at Newbury off an official rating of 108.
Scarlet Dragon also ran very well when a 2 1/2 lengths third of seven to Wissahickon in a 1m 2f Listed contest at Lingfield, where he ran on strongly having been carried out wide rounding the home turn off 106.
The form of those races is strong and suggest that Scarlet Dragon has every chance from a handicapping perspective off a mark of 101.
He also comes into the race on the back of a much improved effort when a 3 1/4 lengths fourth of 13 to King’s Advice in the very competitive Summer Handicap over 1m 6f at Glorious Goodwood, where he held every chance two from home before weakening late on.
The drop back to 1m 4f, over which Scarlet Dragon has won twice and been placed twice from seven starts, is sure to suit.
So, taking everything into account, Scarlet Dragon has more going for him than his odds of 20/1 with Ladbrokes would suggest. Other firm pay extra places at a shorter price, but he makes plenty of each-way appeal regardless.
Nahaarr fancied to get back to winning ways
Nahaarr has an ultra-progressive profile and is strongly fancied at 11/1 with William Hill to resume winning ways in the 1m handicap for three-year-olds (16:50).
This William Haggas trained son of Dark Angel won his first four starts in the manner of a potential pattern performer in the making.
In the third of those, he made a total mockery of his opening handicap mark of 75 when drawing effortlessly clear to slam I Am A Dreamer by five lengths at Newmarket.
Nahaarr then made light of a 6lb penalty when turned out seven days later and winning unextended by six lengths at Chelmsford.
A revised rating of 91 then kicked in and, although beaten off it when third of six to Qaysar at Newmarket, he was given a poor ride by claimer Georgia Cox who had partnered him to all four of his previous success.
After being held-up off the pace and racing keenly in the early stages in a slowly run affair, Nahaarr was badly placed and got outpaced when the leaders quickened three from home.
The leaders got away from him, but after being switched sharply left approaching the final furlong Nahaarr ran on strongly to be gaining all the way to the line.
Given how the race panned out, it was an effort which suggested his current mark was not beyond him.
So, with PJ McDonald now taking over in the saddle, Nahaarr is taken to make amends and take this on Ebor Festival day 3 en route to better things.
