"See The Fire Eyes Victory in York's Sky Bet Strensall Stakes"

See The Fire is set to blaze down the Knavesmire in pursuit of her moment of glory in York's Sky Bet Strensall Stakes.

Trained by Andrew Balding, this filly, bearing Jeff Smith's renowned purple and blue colors, has just one win in her seven-race career. However, she's consistently competed in Group One company in her last five outings.

Following a determined fifth-place finish in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, she has since been competing with Ballydoyle's finest over increased distances.

She secured an honorable fourth against Aidan O'Brien's City Of Troy in the Eclipse and was narrowly beaten by a neck by Opera Singer in the Nassau Stakes, showcasing her abilities as the daughter of Sea The Stars.

With no rivals trained by O'Brien and a drop in grade, her connections are optimistic that See The Fire can claim a well-deserved victory.

'Hopefully she goes to York with a great chance,' said Balding. 'She's had a good season, even though she hasn't won yet this year. Her recent performances have shown the ability we hoped for, and we believe she has a good chance.'

'These races are supposed to be challenging to win, which is as it should be, but she's in excellent form, and we expect her to do well.'

'The distance shouldn't pose a problem. We had hoped she would be a Guineas contender earlier in the season, so she certainly isn't lacking speed.'

Roger Varian's Enfjaar makes a return to the venue of his remarkable John Smith's Cup victory following a close call in a similar race at Goodwood.

He represents Shadwell alongside Owen Burrows' Alyanaabi, who was highly regarded and finished fifth in the 2000 Guineas earlier this year.

After a setback as the favorite at Newbury, Alyanaabi now drops a furlong in distance, aiming to rectify that unusual performance.

'We aim to put Newbury behind us and believe our tactics were off,' said Burrows.

'We'll return to tried-and-tested methods and hopefully get him back on form.

'He's had some strong runs this year, the Guineas form holds with what the front two (Notable Speech and Rosallion) have achieved, and Clive Cox's horse (Ghostwriter) was only a neck ahead of us and ran impressively in the International.'

'He has credible form, and we believe his Newbury performance was an anomaly. We're very satisfied with his condition at home and are optimistic he will get back on track.'

Unlike Alyanaabi, George Scott's Phantom Flight excelled to defeat Al Aasy and secure an impressive win in the Steventon Stakes.

Al Aasy reversed the results against Scott's five-year-old over 12 furlongs at Goodwood, but the Newmarket trainer is eager to reduce the distance for the Victorious Racing-owned gelding .

Scott remarked, 'We believe stepping back in distance will benefit him, although he must still prove it. Going to Goodwood, I was uncertain if he would stay the distance.'

'I needed to determine his staying capability early to define his racing plans, but his recent work shows increasing speed, which makes me hopeful this distance will suit him better.'

'He's already won at York, and we know it can be a track requiring special aptitude, which influenced our decision to enter this race.'

Phantom Flight storms to the front and springs a surprise in the Steventon Stakes at @NewburyRacing!@CallumSheppy | @GScottracing pic.twitter.com/72IjmXffgv

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 20, 2024

'It's a competitive race, as expected, but I'm very excited to test him over this distance and on this ground. We've gotten to know him better and are very happy with his progress.'

'He may need to deliver a career-best performance to win, and whether he can do that remains to be seen. However, all signs are positive heading into the race.'

Ralph Beckett's Task Force extends his distance after finishing a close third to fellow Juddmonte-owned Lead Artist in the Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood.

Previously runner-up in the Middle Park and faced with tough challenges early in his three-year-old season, this son of Frankel demonstrated promising potential, with his team still exploring his full capabilities.

 

'After the 2000 Guineas, we felt he might handle more than a mile,' said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for Juddmonte owners. 'His performance in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot confirmed our need to increase rather than decrease his distance.'

'His recent run at Goodwood was strong, despite some bad luck in running. He finished strongly, suggesting that an additional furlong would be manageable.'

'This race will provide more insight into whether he can handle yet another furlong, opening up further options for his future. I believe he's returning to his peak form.'

'Andrew Balding has a talented filly who will be a tough contender, but if our colt runs a solid race and we gain more understanding of his potential, we'll be pleased.'