Can Quinault seal a Listed hat-trick? Key quotes for the Garrowby Stakes at York

The Starman At Tally Ho Stud Garrowby Stakes is a nice opportunity for horses who would have struggled to quite cut it in Haydock’s Sprint Cup the previous day.

Azure Blue, Frost At Dawn, Night Raider, Quinault, Purosangue and Twilight Calls have tried their luck in a Group 1 this season, but to no avail.

If the recent Ebor meeting is an accurate gauge, the higher-drawn sprinters in the Garrowby are at an immediate disadvantage. Those racing up the far side were emphatically favoured in the sprints across the four days.

Connections of Quinault will surely be delighted with stall two. He regularly sets the pace and has refound his form dropped to a lower level with successive Listed wins. They were back-to-back career-best efforts on Racing Post Ratings and he could pick up an easy lead, although Marine Wave, another arriving in top form, may provide at least some pace pressure from the neighbouring stall.

Frost At Dawn (stall five) is an interesting proposition if the rain avoids the Knavesmire. She brings superb Meydan form to the table over the winter and is entitled to come forward from her first start in five months in the Nunthorpe. She appears adaptable regarding 5f and 6f.

It is easy to imagine things panning out nicely for the Azure Blue in stall one. Her standout performance came over course and distance in the Duke of York Stakes last May and this is a more realistic trip after her ninth-placed finish in the Nunthorpe. With any luck, Azure Blue could become Michael Dods’s fourth different Garrowby winner since 2019.
Analysis by Robbie Wilders

Ground update

The going is good, although there is a chance of thundery showers on Sunday morning.

York chief executive and clerk of the course William Derby added: "The GoingStick reading on the far rail [6.4] is lower than the others [6.6 centre, 6.5 stands' ide] because that is where they went at the Ebor meeting and I expect them to go up the middle."

What they say

Stuart Williams, trainer of Quinault
He's come out of his Newmarket win really well and he's won at this track before so it should suit him. We had him in a Group 3 in France next weekend, but there's more prize-money here.

Karl Burke, trainer of Korker and Night Raider
I still think Night Raider has a very big engine. The ground went very soft at Newmarket last time and he got tired after racing a bit keen. This track and the better ground will suit him and we will see if we can get him going back in the right direction form-wise. Korker is in great shape and will go for the Ayr Gold Cup but you need a lot of luck in running in that and the owners were keen to have a go at this on the way as it's a nice prize.

Julie Camacho, trainer of Significantly
He aggravated an old splint, so he's been off for a while and this is his comeback run. He won't run if it's very fast, but as long as the ground is safe he'll run and hopefully he can put up a good show.

Michael Dods, trainer of Azure Blue
She seems in good form. She's drawn in stall one and the races favoured the far side at the Ebor meeting so let's hope it does so again.

Eve Johnson Houghton, trainer of Rage Of Bamby
It's quite a tight race, but she loves the track. She has run really well there twice and I'm expecting a big run from her.

William Knight, trainer of Frost At Dawn
She's come out of her last race in good form and I'd like to see the rain stay away. She was probably a bit rusty last time and drawn on the wrong side. The race has tuned her in, she goes there in really good nick and I couldn't be happier.
Reporting by Liam Headd