Final Song looks the clear form pick and a worthy 9/4 favourite with Unibet to land the spoils in the 7f Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes for juvenile fillies at Newmarket on Friday (14:25).
Trained by the in-form Saeed bin Suroor, this Godolphin owned daughter of Dark Angel was ultra impressive when winning on debut in a six-runner maiden at Ascot back in May
After breaking well to take quickly up the running, Final Song was shaken-up approaching the final furlong, then showed an instant turn of foot to shoot clear and put the race to bed.
She won easing down by five lengths from Mrs Flanders with any amount in hand.
Star Alexander, the third home who was beaten a further head, won next time up by six lengths at Beverley to give the form a boost.
The way in which Final Song travelled effortlessly throughout and quickened up so nicely suggested she is a hugely exciting prospect who needs keeping firmly onside.
Efforts behind Raffle Prize set Oh So Sharp Stakes standard
That view was confirmed when she was pitched into Group 2 company and ran a stormer to finish a 1 1/4 length thirds to Raffle Prize in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The runner-up is a very smart sort who went on to land another Group 2 and has since finished second on two occasions in Group 1 company, so that gives the form a rock solid look in relation to this.
It sets a clear standard and Final Song has since run well to again finish a two-length third to Raffle Prize in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.
This represents a drop in class, so a reproduction of either of those efforts is going to make her very tough to beat.
With Bin Suroor’s stable operating on an incredible 42 per cent strike rate in the last 14 days at the time of writing, Final Song is fancied for the Oh So Sharp Stakes.
Mustashry up for the Challenge
Now dropped back in grade, Mustashry looks to hold outstanding claims of getting back to winning ways in the 7f Group 2 Challenge Stakes (15:00).
This Sir Michael Stoute trained six-year-old has a terrific strike rate of 41 per cent on the turf having won seven of his starts.
In the last of those successes at Newbury back in May, the son of Tamayuz shot clear at the furlong and ran on strongly to beat Laurens by 2 1/2 lengths in the 1m Group 1 Lockinge.
That race has thrown-up a whole host of subsequent winners and it was a clear career-best performance by Mustahsry.
He backed that up with a solid 3 1/2 lengths seventh of 16 to Lord Glitters in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Mustashry was then far from disgraced last time out over 1m 2f at Sandown when a 5 1/2 lengths fifth to wonder mare Enable in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse.
This represents a return to much calmer waters. Mustashry should not be inconvenienced by the drop back to 7f having won on his sole previous try over it when landing a Group 2 at Doncaster 13 months ago.
He is also the highest rated in the five-runner line-up and has a strike rate of 54 per cent under jockey Jim Crowley.
So, taking everything into account, there is simply nothing not to like about the chances of Mustashry and he’s a strong fancy at the 9/4 on offer with Coral.
Platinum Star the Cornwallis choice
In the 5f Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes that gets proceedings underway on Oh So Sharp Stakes day (13:50), leading owners Godolphin saddle the two at the head of the market in the shape of Platinum Star and Lazuli.
Preference is for the former, as he’s the more experienced of the pair and has by far the strongest form in the book at this stage of his career.
After finishing a highly-promising second to leading juvenile colt Pinatubo on debut at Wolverhampton, this Bin Suroor trained son of Lope De Vega duly went one to to open his account in good style at Leicester.
Platinum Star then went down all guns blazing when a fine half-a-length second of 22 to Southern Hills in a Listed contest at Royal Ascot, before losing by just a short-head to Royal Lytham in the Group 2 July Stakes at this venue.
It’s fair to say that he was then not at his best when a well-beaten fifth of seven to Pinatubo in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, but Platinum Star quickly bounced back to easily beat Lambeth walk by 3 1/2 lengths in a Listed affair at Ripon last time out.
The runner-up had previously run well to finish fourth to Raffle Prize in a Group 2, so that gives the form a decent look – especially given that he was receiving 5lb from the selection.
It has earned Platinum Star a rating of 106, the highest in the 14-runner line-up.
So, in what doesn’t look the strongest renewals of the Cornwallis Stakes, he looks well worth siding with at 3/1 with BetVictor to follow-up.
