Rainbow View can set meeting alight with classic performance

This historic meeting should achieve a fitting crescendo on Saturday, when the card promises to be much the best staged in the north all season, but yesterday's opening movement was so tentative as to be barely audible. Both the racing and those who had come to witness it shared a decidedly desultory air. Today, however, the whole brass section will be abruptly summoned when Rainbow View, without question the most stirring two-year-old filly in Britain, takes her next step up the scale.

Rainbow View has so far only made two journeys to the July Course at Newmarket, just down the road from John Gosden's stables, and won by an aggregate of 12 lengths, more or less on the bridle. Back in third on the first occasion was Snowqualmie Girl, whose subsequent Listed success has persuaded connections to follow the winner here in the hope of a Group Two placing. Rainbow View then proved herself effective in the sort of testing conditions she will again encounter today by simply lacerating her rivals for the Sweet Solera Stakes, and is already 5-1 favourite with the sponsors for the Stan James 1,000 Guineas.

She is entitled to win the Robin Hood Airport May Hill Stakes, even without the sort of progress you might reasonably expect on only her third start. In fact, the one reservation you might still entertain is that she has yet to learn about the hard side of her calling, and at some point she will have to be indulged a failure to impress. That could yet happen today, over an extra furlong, with Aaroness representing recent Group One form. She ran well when fourth to Again in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh, though it may well be that her trainer, Jim Bolger, is curious to see how the top British filly compares against one who certainly has her superiors at Coolcullen. Chief among these was thought to be Cuis Ghaire, but it seems that Bolger has decided not to persevere with her after that dismal performance at Leopardstown last month.

The sense that this carnival will only be ignited by the appearance of Rainbow View was hardly discouraged, meanwhile, by the fact that the first race yesterday, a nursery, was won by a filly who had finished 14 lengths behind her in the Sweet Solera.

Ballantrae was ridden by Jamie Spencer, who revealed that he has been booked to ride for his old boss, Aidan O'Brien, in the Ladbrokes St Leger on Saturday. They won the 2003 race together with Brian Boru, and Spencer will know that at least three of the eight Ballydoyle acceptors can be given a serious chance. Wayne Lordan will be free to take the mount on Unsung Heroine, having won an appeal against suspension yesterday. Spencer considered this an overdue break for a rider who might himself be described as somewhat unsung.

"That's good for Wayne, because he has been harshly treated a couple of times in the last few weeks," he said. "He got three days at Tipperary the other day when he didn't really cause too much trouble." Spencer was also complimentary about the racing surface but Jimmy Fortune described it as "heavy – very, very soft". Certainly conditions did not seem to suit Benbaun, who started favourite for the Listed sprint but never found any rhythm, finishing only sixth of eight behind Galeota. Remarkably, the winner has now won all four of his starts here, but connections are reluctant to push their luck by turning him out again in the Ladbrokes Portland Handicap on Saturday. Richard Hannon Jr, representing his father, said: "It's not out of the question, but he's had quite a hard race."

The Hannons took the next as well, Bonnie Charlie maintaining the rampant form of their juveniles, but the winner who most interested the bookmakers was Perks. He proved far too progressive for two older rivals and is now 8-1 favourite from 12-1 for the Tote Cambridgeshire with the sponsors. His jockey, Jimmy Quinn, declared him "different class on this ground."

Moreover Perks only beat two rivals, and Frankie Dettori was not convinced that the runner-up was entirely sound on pulling up. All in all, you would not want to get carried away. There should be ample opportunity to do that with Rainbow View instead.

Chris McGrath

Nap: Dijeerr

(Sandown 3.30)

NB: Viva Ronaldo

(Doncaster 2.35)

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