Alpine Star to make long-awaited return to action at York

Jessica Harrington’s filly followed in the hoofprints of her multiple Group One-winning half-sister Alpha Centauri by running out a brilliant winner of the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer.

The daughter of Sea The Moon went on to fill the runner-up spot in three more top-level events before the end of 2020 – going down by under a length in French Oaks, the Prix Jacques le Marois and the Prix de l’Opera.

Alpine Star has not been seen in competitive action since pushing Dermot Weld’s Tarnawa all the way at ParisLongchamp in October, but appears to face a relatively straightforward task on her Listed comeback on the Knavesmire.

Harrington said: “It’s a nice little start-off for her and then we can plan for the autumn. We’ve got loads of options. She had a little setback earlier in the year, which is why we didn’t get to run her.

“This is a nice place for her to start and a nice opportunity. Let’s hope all goes well.”

The Irish raider will be long odds-on to dispatch of six rivals in this extended 10-furlong contest.

The second-best horse on ratings is Roger Varian’s Fooraat, but even she has 16lb to find with Alpine Star.

The William Haggas-trained Sea Empress and Vesela from Ralph Beckett’s yard also feature.

Meanwhile York say that tickets are still on sale for tonight’s meeting and post-racing concert by Rick Astley.

However it is now at capacity for both main enclosures on the stands side of the course for tomorrow’s Sky Bet York Stakes fixture and McFly concert after racing.

People will be able to use the more informal Clocktower Enclosure in the centre of the track – this opens at 11.15am and tickets will be sold on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

With 30,000 racegoers anticipated tomorrow, it promises to be racing’s biggest crowd since the Cheltenham Festival in March 2020.

Meanwhile, hot favourite Love is set to face five rivals in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot tomorrow.

Last season’s 1000 Guineas and Oaks heroine made a successful return in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last month and is a warm order to provide trainer Aidan O’Brien with a fifth victory in the midsummer showpiece.

O’Brien will also saddle the ultra-consistent Broome, who was last seen breaking his duck at the top level in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

The opposition is headed by Charlie Appleby’s Derby hero Adayar whose form has been boosted by his stablemate Hurricane Lane, who has won both the Irish Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris since finishing third at Epsom.