Five To Forgive: Ebor Festival runners looking to bounce back from defeats

A winner on his final two-year-old start for Harry Charlton, Schrodinger's Cat has placed on five of his eight starts for Grant Tuer, including a comprehensive win at Redcar in June and a short-head defeat by Naana's Shadow over C&D just a week later. 

He's been kept busy since, including when sixth at Ascot and fifth at Goodwood in races similar to this, but was beaten less than three lengths by old foe Naana's Shadow last time after being given a more patient ride than usual (normally races near the pace). 

He was also stuck on the wing that day when making his challenge, which wasn't ideal, and is likely to outrun his odds here now 9lb better off with the winner.  

Sixth behind leading Gimcrack contender Arapaho Gold in a listed race at Newbury last month, I'm expecting a bounce back from God Given Talent on this first start for William Haggas, but Sir Sirius is of more interest if getting a run further down the weights. 

A bit clueless over C&D on debut, he showed more from the front when sixth behind subsequent listed winner Alfred Wallace in a hot race at Thirsk next time out, and again showed something to work with when making a lot of the running at Newcastle when last seen in June, eventually third behind two promising sorts. 

Gelded since, he makes his handicap debut from 75 and that looks very workable. A half-brother to the listed winner Mehmento, his sibling Immortal Beauty won off 78 on her nursery debut, while older half-brother Harrogate obliged on his first run in a handicap. 

His trainer Kevin Ryan won this race in 2010 and 2020, has had placed runners in three of the five renewals since, and looks to have a potentially well-treated juvenile on his hands once again. 

Having been third in the Hilary Needler on her previous start, Silesia set quite a high standard for Ruby Moon to aim for on debut but the Richard & Peter Fahey-trained filly won decisively at Carlisle, quickly putting the race to bed once getting to the long-time leader, with the pair 11 lengths clear of the third. 

Ruby Moon was quickly stepped up into quite rarified air in the Group Two Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket, and I thought she ran well in a messy race which was run at a dawdle in the early stages. 

Having had to wait for a run behind eventual winner Senorita Bonita as the pace finally lifted, she picked up nicely under a fairly sympathetic Ryan Moore ride and was eventually fourth, less than two lengths behind runner-up Libertango who heads the betting here. 

From the family of 1000 Guineas winner and Oaks runner-up Yesterday, she is likely to get at least a mile in time, but I think the stronger tempo of this race should suit, and she should be finishing better than most in a race the yard won with Queen Kindly in 2016.  

Prior to his gelding operation as a three-year-old, Eternal Force was tried over a mile and a quarter (behind some very smart horses) but it was over this mile trip on flat tracks that he progressed in his next three (winning) outings. 

Those performances led to him going off just 4-1 for the Lincoln on his return this season, where he was held in seventh but shaped well in defeat, and ultimately was only beaten by a couple of lengths. 

He had another break before his next start at Hamilton, where he narrowly failed to reel in the front-running Diego Ventura (who has since run a career-best in a Goodwood conditions race), so it was no great surprise to see him back up in trip at Newcastle last time where he made no impression. 

However, I'm not sure he relished the slow pace or kickback there (Tom Marquand moved him to the far rail late on), and I think a strongly-run mile on decent ground around a bend are his ideal conditions (dam won over a mile at Thirsk) so this race should be a perfect fit. His trainer should know, having won it in 2009, 2020 and 2025.  

Connections may be a little stuck with where to place Royal Velvet, though with a black type win under her belt this year, they probably won't care given the mare has now won nine of her 24 starts and has progressed from a mark of 69 when winning her first start in handicap company. 

Her wins include this race, which came from a much lower perch, but she has improved plenty since and the 5lb claim of Conor Whiteley will come in useful as she bids to bounce back from a fifth-placed finish at Goodwood where she got going too late in a race dominated by prominent racers. 

This big field (three wins in 14+ runner races) and frenetic pace will play to her strengths once more, as will the quick ground, and she can hit the frame at likely decent odds now back in handicap company.