York Ebor Festival 2015: Strensall Stakes preview (14.00)
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Basem can take the step up into Group 3 company is his stride to land the Strensall Stakes at York (14.00) and enhance trainer Saeed bin Suroor’s excellent record in the 1m 1f contest.
The Newmarket handler has won the race five times, and in Basem has a colt with an ultra-progressive profile.
After landing a competitive class 2 handicap at Sandown on seasonal reappearance when overcoming trouble in-running to come with a surging late run and beat Jacon Black by a neck, the four-year-old and readily defied a 5lb rise in the weights to follow up at the same venue.
Basem half reared as the stalls opened in the latter, but soon recovered to race on the heels of the leaders and found a good turn of foot when switched to challenge to put the race to bed.
Although the the son of Pivotal held on by just 1/2 a length from the fast finishing Munaaser, he was idling in front and only doing enough.
It was a most taking performance and one which suggested Basem was a Group performer in the making.
That view was confirmed last time out at Goodwood where Basem ran far better than his finishing position suggests when fourth of 18 to So Beloved in a hot 1m handicap.
Basem lost vital ground when slowly into stride and also endured trouble in-running before keeping on to be beaten 3 3/4 lengths despite not being suited by the undulations of the track.
The return to a more galloping venue looks sure to suit, and after just seven-career starts Basem looks the type who has plenty more to offer and needs keeping firmly onside.
Mahsoob had been on a serious upward curve prior to running a stinker last time out in a Group 2 at Newmarket and looks a big player if bouncing back, but Convey is the one most likely to give Basem most to think about.
The Sir Michael Stoute trained filly and could not have been more impressive when winning her sole start as a juvenile at Kempton, storming clear from the furlong marker to win going away by five lengths.
Convey then suffered a setback was the off the track for 296 days, but shaped with bags of promise on return to action when a not knocked about fourth of 10 to Malabar in a Group 3 contest at Goodwood.
The daughter of Dansili is entiled to come on a bundle for that run, and after just two starts remains totally unexposed and open to stacks of improvement.
