Nunthorpe Stakes 2025 Preview & Tips: Arizona Can Blaze A York Trail

The Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday afternoon is one of the fastest races of the season and promises an explosion of speed on the Knavesmire. The Group 1 has been landed in recent times by stellar sprinters like Highfield Princess, Winter Power, Battaash and Mecca's Angel.

A high-quality field of 17 runners are set to go to post, including a pair of smart juvenile fillies seeking to upset their elders. We've assessed the field and come up with our best bets for York's Nunthorpe Stakes.

Glorious Goodwood winner Lady Iman takes on older horses now and is progressing at a rate of knots, but Kingsgate Native (2007) is the only juvenile to win this race since 1992 so Ger Lyons' runner has history against her.

The Edward Lynam-trained Sole Power (2010 & 2014) is the only Irish-based Nunthorpe winner since 2001.

Despite that, Arizona Blaze looks set to go very close for Adrian Murray and the Amo Racing team. The Sergei Prokofiev colt is bred to be fast and showed it last year with some fine efforts in defeat, including here over 6f in the major Sales race at this meeting when his pocket was picked late.

He was also second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint over the minimum distance and that bodes well for the quick conditions he will have.

He has been in decent nick all season, winning a French Group 3 in April and just denied in the 6f Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot where he perhaps didn't quite get home.

He dropped to 5f at the Curragh last time and was a commanding winner of the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes. This speed-test could be tailor-made for him.

• ·         Race Winner: Arizona Blaze
• ·         Outsider To Watch: Frost At Dawn
• ·         1-2-3 prediction: 1st: Arizona Blaze, 2nd: Lady Iman, 3rd: Sayidah Dariyan

Key Runners & Form Analysis

• Lady Iman: Rapidly progressive youngster only beaten by one horse in five starts. Won at Glorious Goodwood three weeks ago and gets all the allowances as a 2YO filly.
• Arizona Blaze: Speedy colt remains unexposed at the minimum trip and relished the drop back to 5f in Ireland last time.
• Asfoora: Aussie mare won a Group 1 at Royal Ascot last summer over 5f and was fourth in this race but held in both UK starts this season.
• Sayidah Dariyan: Progressive filly, outran big odds in Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and then bagged a 6f Group 3 at this track.
• She's Quality: A rock-solid sprinting mare, she has been second in all four starts in Group-races this season.

Trainer & Jockey Insights

Top rider Ryan Moore has never won the Nunthorpe. He's on Sayidah Dariyan for trainer Richard Hughes now.

Michael Bell (Margot Did, 2011), John Quinn (Highfield Princess, 2022) and Archie Watson (Bradsell, 2024) are the only trainers with runners this year that have won the Nunthorpe before. (Quinn now trains in partnership with his son, Sean).