Ribblesdale Stakes Guide 2021

Only seen twice as a 2 year old for Sir Michael Stoute, Noon Star got off the mark at the second time of asking as a juvenile over a mile at Nottingham last Autumn.

Reappearing in a low grade novice affair at the end of April this year, she defied her penalty with ease and took to 10 furlongs really well to record her second victory.

Clearly improving she was sent off a short priced favourite for the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York last month. She’ll probably count herself as very unlucky as she bumped into subsequent Oaks winner Snowfall.

She did manage to get within 4 lengths of the winner who took the fillies’ classic by an eye-watering 16 lengths.

Noon Star missed the Oaks with a blood disorder but is likely to relish going up in trip to 12 furlongs for the first time.
Her form certainly sets the standard.

Aidan O’Brien brings over Divinely for her third run in England this campaign.

A Group 3 winner as a 2 year old on bottomless ground at the Curragh is her only success to date, so it brings to question as to whether she needs deep ground to be effective.

Finishing 4th in the Oaks trial at Lingfield, she had to wait for daylight to get involved. The gap came too late but she did run on well.

Last seen in the Oaks she ran well to be 3rd but was no match for runaway winner Snowfall. It might be important to note she’s been supplemented for this race and might appreciate the slight drop in grade.

Three of the last seven winners have come from her stable and she’s the only runner they have here.

Her only win came on slow ground so connections and backers might be praying for rain.

A lightly raced 3 year old for the Gosdens. This Galileo filly made her debut in mid April and ran a screamer to beat a more experienced rival in Hollywood Lady.

Clearly impressing connections she moved straight into listed company for her second run. She was really unlucky to be beaten narrowly by Eshaada.

Gloria Mundi just couldn’t get past her rival as the two locked horns in the last furlong.

Three of the last four runnings have been won by her yard and she’s clearly progressing at a rapid rate of knots.

She shaped last time like going further would certainly suit her as the 10 furlongs was just too sharp for her to do her best work.

Dettori takes the ride and she’s drawn low to save ground throughout.

Mentioned previously as she just managed to dig in and get the better of Gloria Mundi at Newbury at listed level. Eshaada made a late debut as a 2 year old but got off the mark at the first time of asking as a juvenile.

Soft ground seemingly suited her at Nottingham on debut and she showed a preference for slower ground when winning at Newbury over 10 furlongs at listed level last month.

She really knuckled down to repel the challenge of Gloria Mundi and she looks another who will appreciate going further in trip.

She hasn’t encountered fast ground yet but her pedigree would suggest that it won’t be a problem for her.

Another filly who’s only been seen twice on the racecourse. Twisted Reality debuted late last year for Ralph Beckett and won the second division of the fillies’ maiden won by Eshaada.

She seemingly appreciated the soft ground at Nottingham and powered clear to a 1.25 length win.

She too ran in the listed race with Eshaada and Gloria Mundi at Newbury but found herself in 4th behind 3 rivals who re-oppose today.

However, she really shaped like she would greatly appreciate this extra distance and definitely did her best work late on at Newbury last month on seasonal debut.

Again she’s not encountered faster ground but there’s nothing to suggest that it would be an issue for her.

She does have form to overturn with 3 rivals but shaped well on seasonal reappearance and will be sharper for it here.

Mark Johnston’s filly won twice as a 2 year old in low grade affairs before hitting the post in better quality races. Coming 2nd in a Listed race, a Group 3 and a Group 2 saw she was of the quality for big races but just not quite having things fall her way.

Returning to the track at Chester in the Cheshire Oaks she just got the upper hand over Zeyaadah, making the most of the 3lbs her rival had to give away to her.

Last seen in the Oaks she was well fancied and went off only 4/1 for the classic but finished 12th of 14. She was possibly a bit too keen in the early uphill stages of the race and paid for it late on when the field got racing.

She’s worth another crack at a higher level and clearly has plenty of talent. Epsom might not have been to her liking but switching to a more conventional course should suit.

Overpriced and she could quite easily bounce back to form with a bold showing.

Another lightly raced filly in Annerville for Johnny Murtagh. Not raced as a 2 year old she only took to the course for debut in April of this year.

Sent off a massive price, for debut at Leopardstown over 10 furlongs, she was an eye-catcher who snuck into 4th place despite running green and having trouble in running.

Turned out at Goodwood again for her next running she was kept in maiden company and with experience on her side easily brushed aside twelve other fillies.

There isn’t much substance to her form but she did do it with ease. This is a huge step up in grade and she’ll have to improve loads to be involved in the finish.

A similar profile to the previous horse, Ad Infinitum made her debut for David Simcock at a big price at Kempton on the all weather as a 2 year old at the end of last year.

She made eye-catching progress but was put away for the winter.

She moved straight into listed company at Goodwood for her second outing, she repaid faith and broke her maiden at 25/1 in the higher grade.

Switched off at the back of the field, she came with one storming run and pulled a length clear of Lady Hayes to score a black type success.

Soft ground was no issue at Goodwood but she’ll likely encounter a much quicker surface here. She’s moving up starkly in grade and might just be wanting for a little bit of quality and experience in a deep field.

A daughter of Golden Horn for the Gosden duo, Taslima is still a maiden but has shown stark progress between her two outings to date.

Coming 2nd on debut at Lingfield at the end of last year on the all weather she went off favourite but just didn’t quite get home under Robert Havlin to be caught in the last furlong.

Returning to the course this season as a 3 year old in listed company, she was a big price but did well to run on into 3rd place. The winner since coming 4th in a Group 3.

She’s shown promise but it would be highly surprising to see her going close in a group 2 off the back of her two outings so far.

Another for the Gosden pair, this filly showed some talent as a 2 year old to build on debut to win a maiden event on the all weather at Wolverhampton at the back end of last year.

Returning to the course in the novice event that was won by Noon Star, she couldn’t live with the short priced favourite but was a clear best of the rest in 2nd.

We last saw this Gleneagles filly in the Oaks trial at Lingfield last month where she was a close up 5th.

Slightly troubled passage late on didn’t help her cause but she’s looking like the stable third string and is likely to be held again in even deeper waters than she faced last time.

Yet another runner who’s only had a couple of outings. Unraced as a 2 year old, she made her debut back in mid April for Richard Hannon and got off the mark at the first time of asking.

Running over 10 furlongs she stayed on incredibly powerfully to just get the better of Darlectable You. Brushing aside inexperience to beat a more race practiced rival.

She filled the 3rd place spot behind Eshaada and Gloria Mundi at Newbury last month and had Twisted Reality behind her in 4th.

On both starts she has hinted like her future could lie over further. She’ll appreciate going up in distance to 12 furlongs but is likely to lack the quality to get seriously involved.

Coming over from Ireland for Donnache O’Brien is Nicest. A debut winner at 2 years old she ran a gutsy race to win by just a head.

Moved into group company for her last run as a juvenile she went off favourite for a Group 3 at the Curragh but seemingly struggled in deep ground and was held behind Divinely.

Making her return to the course at 3 in the Cheshire Oaks she could only manage 3rd behind Dubai Fountain and Zeyaadah.

Kept at listed level for her most recent run, she took on the boys but could only manage 4th, shaping like the 10 furlongs wasn’t quite long enough for her.

She’ll enjoy a move up in trip but will have to improve bundles to make the switch from listed company to group 2 company.

A maiden for Hughie Morris, this Camelot filly has had 4 runs that have only amassed a rating of 74.

She has shown promise on her starts and has bumped into some of today’s rivals including Aristia and Twisted Reality, but both of those find themselves long enough in the betting and she has a good deal to find with both of those.

She has an absolute mountain to climb in this kind of company as she struggled in a handicap off a mark of 74 on her last run.