2012 Great Voltigeur Stakes Preview

Frankel is in action at York this week and is stepping up in trip to a proper 1m2f distance – this is sure to draw plenty of attention but you may also want to note that his younger brother Noble Mission has an entry on the same day in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur.

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Seemingly maturing a bit slower than Frankel – and not quite possessing the same withering turn of foot as his older brother – Noble Mission has begun to take very serious steps forward with his first Group level score coming at Goodwood a few weeks ago. He beat out Encke by a nose when sent off at an 11/4 price and he is likely to keep moving forward as he steps up against better quality runners.

Punters will be able to find Noble Mission at around 9/2 at the moment with a number of top bookmakers. He will be up against some competition that have gotten the better of him in the past as Thomas Chippendale also boasts an entry for this one. Ryan Moore is booked for the trip here and he is switching over from Johnny Murtagh – who does not have a mount for the race.

Godolphin boasts a co-entry here with Encke coming back for revenge against Noble Mission and he brings along his German-based stablemate Energizer, who announced his presence in Britain with a score at Royal Ascot when sent off at 15/2 in the Tercentenary Stakes.

Encke is getting more support from the punters at 5/1 but has already been exposed by Noble Mission. Energizer is much more of an unknown quantity and may really have found his step at this point in his three-year-old campaign. He has an official rating of 111.

Energizer trades at 8/1.

The betting choice here is Main Sequence, who ran second to Camelot in the Epsom Derby. Having put in a solid shift behind the best runner of his generation, Main Sequence steps down from a fourth place finish (albeit by a 1.5L margin) in the Juddmonte Prix De Paris at Longchamp. He's been bet down to a 5/2 price and will retain Ted Durcan for the mount.

Look for Thought Worthy, another who has beaten Noble Mission, to get things back on track for this race. He ran fourth in the Derby and third in the Group 2 King Edward II Stakes behind Thomas Chippendale. He's been freshened since mid-June and has been pointed here for a reason. He's a solid 7/1 and could be good value for money on the bottom end of a forecast wager.