Race conditions dictate Arizona Blaze must concede weight all round in this valuable sales race, but I doubt any in this field could have led Whistlejacket and Babouche to nearly the furlong pole as he did in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes last time and I’d have him clear favourite.

Before that he’d also finished third in both the Railway Stakes (to another pair of top juveniles Henri Matisse and The Strikin Viking) and the Norfolk despite finding the five-furlong trip on the sharp side in the latter when racing alone on the stand rail. He represents proper Group-race form in a in which most are shooting for the moon and is a confident selection.

With the progressive Elnajmm drawn out in the car park he looks an opposable favourite and one to take him on with is the fellow unexposed Thunder Run. Karl Burke’s charge met with defeat when sent off odds-on on his handicap debut last time but it’s easy enough to draw a line through that performance. He seemed to find it coming too soon in his development taking on seasoned professionals for the first time, and also had to work hard early to get across from the highest draw, though he still went through it as if well ahead of his current mark.

Both his defeats of stablemates of Elnajmm read well and he should be a lot more streetwise this time around. He’s also well berthed in stall six and a forecast strong pace is likely to be ideal given his-strong travelling nature. Clipper’s retained jockey Danny Tudhope is unable to do the weight but David Egan is certainly a notable replacement.

Andrew Asquith: Elim – 17:20 York

A wide-open fillies’ handicap to close the card but I’m convinced that Elim has the ability to win a race of this nature. She progressed well last season, and the form of her reappearance run at Redcar in May has worked out well, so I was a little disappointed with her effort at Royal Ascot afterwards.

Elim travelled powerfully through that race, though, and was one of the last to come off the bridle but probably wasn’t best placed given how that event panned out (it paid to race closer to the pace). She was far from disgraced in listed company at Pontefract last time, again travelling as well as any but leaving the impression a mile, on soft ground at a stiff track maybe just stretched her. The handicapper didn’t miss that effort, and she is now 9 lb higher in the weights than she was at Royal Ascot, but I think this strong-travelling filly will be suited by a return to seven furlongs and am of the opinion she hasn’t yet reached her ceiling yet.

Heavens Gate is likely to improve when tackling a longer distance but the form she has shown over six furlongs still marks her out as the one to beat on these terms.

She ran a cracker when third in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, finishing a neck behind runner-up Simmering who has since won a Group 3 at Ascot and a Group 2 at Deauville, and she then ran creditably when third in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket before not needing to improve to land the valuable Ballyhane Stakes at Naas.

Heavens Gate gets 3 lb from Queen Mary Stakes winner Leovanni and that is enough to place her 3 lb clear on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings.

The Timeform Flag

Alfa Kellenic – 17:20 York

Flags: Horse In Focus, Top-Rated

Alfa Kellenic has improved in leaps and bounds this season and she made it four wins in a row when successful at Ayr last month.

Alfa Kellenic won by only a short-head at Ayr but she did well to come from off the pace in a race that was run at just an ordinary gallop, so she can have that effort marked up.

She needs to prove her effectiveness at seven furlongs (has raced only at six furlongs), but a 3 lb rise in the weights following Ayr underestimates her and she still has more to offer.

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.