York Saturday Preview - 10/07/21

The first race of the day is the Class 2 Handicap over a mile and with such a big field heading to post we have two selections for the event.

The four year old Ajyaall makes a big appeal and is our first each way selection in the contest being a lightly raced son of Kingman.

As a three year old the gelding was seen three times, winning two events well once at Haydock and another at Wolverhampton, also finishing second in another event on the all weather.

He returned this term at York over 7f and the soft ground scuppered any chance of running a big race and now back on good ground and back up to a mile he looks a big contender off 1lb lower.

At a much bigger price and the big outsider of the field is the Scott Dixon trained Ebury who is being put up as an each way stab.

The five year old gelding although being poor on his last two starts was extremely encouraging on his seasonal debut over 7f at the track back in May.

He is now 7lb lower in the handicap for this run and if improving for the better ground he should outrun his odds of 40/1.

The feature race of the day at York is the Group Three John Smith's Silver Cup over a marathon trip and the stand out runner looks to be Hukum.

The four year old colt was a decent two year old, only racing twice and getting off the mark at the second time of asking at Kempton over a mile.

Burrows always planned to step this horse up in trip and on his seasonal debut last term he landed the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot in gritty style.

The way he battled and stayed on that day showed he could handle a bigger trip and when stepped up to 1m5f in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, he was a runaway winner in soft conditions.

Both these runs set him up perfectly for a crack at the Group One St Leger at Doncaster, but on the day he was outstayed by better horses and had to settle for fifth.

He returned this season at Sandown in the Group Three Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown over 1m2f and looked to need the run in the final stages.

As expected he came on for the run last time out when getting off the mark for the term in the Listed Tapster Stakes at Goodwood back over 1m4f and that put him spot on for a go at back to back Royal Ascot winners.

He headed into an above average renewal of the Hardwicke Stakes and plugged on well in soft ground to grab third behind the dual Group One winner Wonderful Tonight.

That form sets the standard and he should stay this trip.

With no bet in the stayers contest we move onto the Nursery Handicap over six furlongs and International Boy for Richard Fahey can run well at a double figure price.

The juvenile has been seen three times this season all over five furlongs and has got better with each run, with the quicker the ground the better it is for him.

Last time out he gave his best running at Redcar when a good third behind some pacy types and now being dropped into a handicap for the first time off a mark of 68 he should imrpove.

Another smart event at York is the John Smith's Cup Handicap over 1m2f and at a huge price What's The Story for Keith Dalgleish is not to be taken lightly.

The seven year old has landed two races from four outings over course and distance, running well in this event last year 3lb higher.

In November the gelding finished a good second over 1m2f at Chelmsford and then after a break returned in March at Doncaster in the Listed Mile Stakes and finished a good second behind Top Rank.

The fourth and fifth in that race have since come out and ran to a fair standard and he is only 1lb higher than that mark.

Although being poor at Ascot last time out, his overall form at this track is worth sticking by him at a huge price of 33/1.

The City Walls Stakes over five furlongs sees some top class sprinters head to post and we are siding with the Edward Bethell trained Moss Gill.

The five year old sprinter has been a superb yardstick over the years and loves racing at York racing five times and placing in every event, winning two of them, including this event last term.

One of his best performances at the track was his close third in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes and putting up a run like that in Listed company sees him go close.

This season he has been in fine form with two good seconds at Lingfield and Haydock and his course form puts him right in the mix.

The final event of the afternoon in Yorkshire is the Sprint Handicap over six furlongs and Raatea for Julie Camacho could pull off a shock.

The four year old this season has been knocking on the door in better races than this and now dropping down to Class 4 company off the same mark as his last run he looks underrated.

Last time out at Newcastle he was a fair third of nine in a Class 2 Handicap and now dropping in trip and class he should not be overlooked if handling the turf.