Sectional Debrief: York, August 22

A small amount of watering overnight rendered the surface not quite so fast at York on day two as day one, but there can be little doubt that circumstances still tested speed in the day's highlight, the Darley Yorkshire Oaks. There are not many middle-distance fillies who can match The Fugue for speed - or for class - and she was far too good for her rivals. 

Scintillula was a clear leader for much of the way, but the pace for the main group was fair at best. The Fugue cruised up to lead over 2f out, running the last 3f in under 35.0s and the last 2f in 23.65s, the latter 0.45s quicker than Declaration of War had managed in the International at a slightly shorter distance 24 hours earlier. The Fugue's overall time was respectable, rather than good, but her sectionals imply she is a fair few lengths better than the result.

The more observant among you may have noticed something slightly odd about the times on the straight course on the first two days. All of the sprint races have resulted in finishing speed %s some way below 100 (that is, the horses have been finishing slower than their average race speed). Unless York has recently installed an uphill finish, this is not what would be expected. There may be an issue with the sectional times, or with the race distances (some of the times on day one were remarkably fast). Either way, the mark-ups have attempted to take this into account. 

Lucky Kristale's finish in winning the Lowther Stakes was probably quite a fast one in the circumstances, and the way she went past the majority of her rivals marks her down as yet more superior to them than the bare result implies. A 111 sectional rating is very much in line with what the filly achieved in winning at the Newmarket July meeting (which made her a sectional "to follow" horse yesterday), and she is clearly smart. Tougher tasks than this one may await her now, however.

The opening Sales Race resulted in a very similar overall time to the Lowther but was run in markedly different fashion. The leader in the Sales Race got to the 2f marker 1.50s quicker than the leader in the Lowther, and nothing came home from that point quickly. That leader, Green Door, finished eleventh but ran as if every bit as good as ever. He gets added to the sectional "to follow" list, while fourth-placed Sleeper King (who travelled so well that he hit 3.05 in running) gets retained: both should be suited by a return to 5f. 

The Galtres Stakes, won by Our Obsession, is a good example of how severely a slow pace can impact an overall race time. The leader got to 3f out 4.43s slower than the leader in the Yorkshire Oaks, a massive difference, especially given the earlier race was not strongly-run. 

From that point, Our Obsession (only 0.10s behind the leader) sped home in 34.38s, with a last 2f of 23.34s. Our Obsession's time needs marking-up plenty, but runner-up Say's even more so. It might have been a different outcome in a less tactical race and Our Obsession looks one "to oppose" rather than follow from a sectional point of view. 

Mont Ras made all in the mile handicap. He was not greatly flattered, setting a reasonable enough pace, but one or two of his rivals raced less efficiently. Notable among these was third-placed Hot Bed, who rattled home in 23.36s for the last 2f and can be regarded as the "moral" winner. Hot Bed is another to be added to what has so far proved to be a profitable sectional "to follow" list. 

Sole Power, Six Wives and Golden Town run from the list on Friday.  

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