Sentaril tipped to star at York Racecourse (From York Press)

Sentaril tipped to star at York Racecourse

1:55pm Thursday 12th July 2012 in Sport By Tom O'Ryan, Racing journalist

Sentaril, who found only one too good in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, can go one better in the feature race at York tomorrow.

Trained at Newmarket by William Haggas, the lightly-raced three-year-old contests the £55,000 tyregiant.com Summer Stakes and is fancied to clinch this Group 3 event on her first attempt at six furlongs.

Winner of both her races before being thrown in at the deep end in the Jersey Stakes, Sentaril acquitted herself exceptionally well to go down narrowly in a blanket finish in a tough renewal of this annual seven-furlong contest.

Although Sentaril has yet to tackle a distance shorter than seven furlongs, she has plenty of speed in her pedigree, being a daughter of Superstar Leo, a former top sprinter.

Tomorrow’s Knavesmire showpiece has attracted a strong field, which includes Margot Did, winner of the Nunthorpe Stakes on this course last season. She, though, hasn’t been in the same sort of form this season, and Sentaril is taken to come out on top.

Haggas can also lift the Ken Hodgson Memorial Stakes, a race named in honour of the former owner, who enjoyed many successes on this course, often with horses trained by Mick Easterby.

Fury won the Hambleton Handicap on this course in May and has since run well in Pattern race company in France. He should be hard to beat in this conditions event.

In the Haylin Nursery, Forray promises to go well for Ed McMahon and Richard Mullen.

A Leicester winner on soft ground two starts ago, Forray finished second to the high-class Body And Soul in a novice at Thirsk last time. Body And Soul, trained by Tim Easterby, heads to Newbury on Saturday for the richly-endowed Weatherbys Super Sprint.

Forray will pay her a compliment if he can win tomorrow.

Brawby trainer Geoff Oldroyd and owner-breeder Reg Bond from Pocklington have good prospects of getting on the scoresheet with Jamaican Bolt in the Racing Plus 1.20 on Saturday Handicap.

The gelding trotted up on soft ground at Hamilton last time and is up to defying a 6lb penalty. He is awarded the nap vote.

Richard Fahey’s Bridle Belle, who ran so well to finish second to Qahriman on this course four weeks ago, may have the edge over the hat-trick seeking Edmaaj in the Caravan Chairman’s Charity Cup Handicap, but David O’Meara, trainer of Edmaaj, has another good chance with the useful Dutch Rose, who is marginally preferred to Trail Blaze in the Livwell Apprentice Handicap.

The second day of Newmarket’s July Festival is highlighted by the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes, in which classy French raider Golden Lilac will surely take plenty of beating, despite the presence of some formidable opponents.

Cardigan, who was thrown in too deep on her reappearance in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, finished last and never got past another rival.

Paul Hanagan’s mount will, however, find the task in the Piper-Heidsieck Fillies’ Handicap off a mark of 88 much more like it. She is not one to underestimate.

Sholaan (1.50), runaway winner of the Bond Tyres Trophy on Knavesmire last month before finishing third at Windsor, and Agent Allison (2.25), an easy winner at Pontefract before finishing second to Newfangled in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, are two others to note.

Tom O'Ryan's selections

York (tomorrow) 2.05 Miss You Too, 2.35 Sentaril, 3.10 Forray, 3.45 Bridle Belle, 4.20 Jamaican Bolt (NAP), 4.55 Fury, 5.30 Dutch Rose.

Newmarket (tomorrow) 1.20 Cardigan, 1.50 Sholaan, 2.25 Agent Allison, 3.00 Golden Lilac, 3.30 Alonso de Sousa, 4.10 Awake My Soul, 5.20 Jawhar.

Tomorrow’s other meetings: Chepstow, Chester, Hamilton and Newbury.

Today’s meetings: Doncaster, Epsom, Folkestone, Newmarket and Warwick.