Lady Iman and Spicy Marg bid to become rare two-year-old winners of the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes (1,000m) at York on Friday but will face competition from all angles in a 17-runner barn burner.
The Nunthorpe has always been a historically competitive contest and this year’s running is no different, with no stand-out favourite and a host of runners from different age groups.
The last two-year-old to win the Nunthorpe was Kingsgate Native in 2007, but trainer Ger Lyons clearly has confidence behind Lady Iman, with the filly carrying a featherweight after being supplemented.
She is not the only juvenile in the field, with Hong Kong-based Harry Bentley cutting his holiday short to ride Michael Bell’s Spicy Marg.
“It is a while since a two-year-old won the Nunthorpe but not many have tried. Her time was really fast at Goodwood and she gave me a ‘push-button feel’ when I rode her in work. All the signs are positive,” said Bentley.
