Lyric Fillies' Stakes: Jessica Harrington to treat York crowd to sight of Alpine Star on seasonal reappearance

Racegoers at York on Friday evening will be treated to the sight of top-class filly Alpine Star making her return to action in the British Stallion Studs EBF Lyric Fillies’ Stakes.

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.

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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.

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“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. She doesn’t have to carry a penalty and is taking on just fillies, so let’s hope all goes well.

“She arrived over there safely this [Thursday] morning.”

The Irish raider will be long odds-on to dispatch of six rivals in Friday’s 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.

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