'She's got a favourite's chance' - Karl Burke in confident mood as Leovanni takes on Heavens Gate in exciting Lowther

The Lowther Stakes stands at the junction between the early two-year-old races and those where the all-age champions start to emerge. Over the last decade, five of the ten winners had run at Royal Ascot, although last year's winner Relief Rally was the first since 2018.

All five of the winners to come from Royal Ascot had been placed there: three in the Queen Mary, two in the Albany. Leovanni won the Queen Mary and has been saved for this race since, which is bold campaigning whichever way you slice it. If she is going to do her best work this year, a targeted campaign leaves little room for error. Otherwise, her connections expect this Queen Mary winner to have more longevity than most.

Behind her in the betting are horses who also fit the Royal Ascot trend, or at least come close. Heavens Gate was third in the Albany. She has since filled the same position in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and won a valuable sales race at Naas.

Miss Lamai, a stablemate of Leovanni, was fourth in the Queen Mary and has since won a Listed race at Naas. She has form at York, having been second to Betty Clover in the Marygate at the Dante meeting.

The Princess Margaret finish: Simmering (8) wins from Betty Clover (3) and Tales Of The Heart (9)Credit: Edward Whitaker

Betty Clover lines up in this race and she, like Tales Of The Heart, fits a more modern Lowther trend. In the last five years, two of the five winners have come via the Princess Margaret Stakes, which is held at Ascot's King George meeting. That pair finished second and third in this year's race, which has already had a boost from winner Simmering, who won a Group 2 at Deauville on Saturday. 

Tales Of The Heart, who showed pace at Ascot and raced alone in the closing stages, shaped especially well with the Lowther in mind. She must find improvement relative to those who showed up well at Royal Ascot, but in the Lowther these days many do just that.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

Leovanni heads strong Burke hand

Shareholder’s performance in last weekend’s Prix Morny proved things do not always go your way in racing, even if you are a billionaire state leader.

Expectations had been high that Shareholder would add the Group 1 in France to his unbeaten record, which included winning at Royal Ascot, but he overraced and finished in last place.

Roll on to York and the same connections – trainer Karl Burke, jockey James Doyle and Sheikh Tamim, the Emir of Qatar – have another unbeaten Royal Ascot winner who is deemed to have a strong chance of adding to her two wins.

James Doyle and Karl Burke after Leovanni's win in the Queen MaryCredit: Edward Whitaker

Leovanni was superb on her debut and again when taking the Queen Mary in June, and Burke, who has won this race twice in the last five years, is not hiding away her chances.

“Leovanni's had a good break after Royal Ascot and is in good form,” he said. “She's working very well and we're happy with her. She's got a favourite's chance.”

Burke, whose yard has been swelled by the arrival of more horses from owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid in recent days, also runs Miss Lamai and Unspoken Love, giving him one-third of the field.

He said: “I wouldn't underestimate Miss Lamai and she showed her true colours when she got a bit of cover when winning a Listed race at Naas last time. I think she can run really well for a place. 

“Unspoken Love is taking on a tough task, but she's a nice filly and the ground should suit. It would be no surprise if she ran a nice race.”

What they say

Eve Johnson Houghton, trainer and owner-breeder of Betty Clover
She’s won a Listed race at York, she was a neck second to Simmering at Ascot and that filly is now one of the leading fancies for next year’s 1,000 Guineas, and she beat Englemere on her debut and that filly won a Listed race last week. She’s got an absolutely rock-solid chance and should run a good race.

Ed Walker, trainer of Celandine
The set-up of the race should suit her over a fast six furlongs and she's back against her own sex after taking on the colts. She's freshened up after her fourth in the Molecomb and did a good piece of work on Saturday.

Aidan O’Brien, trainer of Heavens Gate
She’s taking her racing very well. We were delighted with her at Naas. The ground will probably be quicker this time but she’s always been very straightforward.

Brian Ellison, trainer of Perfect Part
Everything happened too quickly for her at Musselburgh last time as it was too short a trip. She still ran well against the colts that day and she’s been crying out to go six furlongs.

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