SATURDAY'S Sky Bet Ebor Handicap is ferociously competitive as ever but Godolphin's GHOSTWATCH looks over-priced and can run a big race over the course and distance at which he won the Melrose Handicap at this meeting in 2018.
William Buick's mount followed up his York win with a decent second at Ascot over a mile and a half and then returned to winning form over this trip on the same course when taking the scalps of Mekong, Austrian School and Enbihaar.
Subsequent events proved that was a strong win but Ghostwatch went missing afterwards only returning this June, but he appears to have retained his ability and ran an excellent second under a big weight behind Cape Coast at Newmarket (soft) over this trip again last month.
Third when favourite for a listed race at Deauville on his latest start, he looked completely unsuited to the typically slow early pace of so many races in France followed by a two-furlong burn up. Even so, the five-year-old kept on gamely and the likely end-to-end gallop here will suit much better.
Ghostwatch has gone up 3lb for his Newmarket second but on some of those efforts in 2018, he is by no means badly handicapped, and remains the only course and distance winner in the field.
Of course, there are many potential winners and Fujaira Prince should be a danger to all after his fluent Royal Ascot success in June (even if the form hasn't worked out too well) while the former James Fanshawe-trained Pondus looks interesting stepping up in trip and could be Melbourne Cup bound for new trainer Joseph O'Brien and Aussie owner Lloyd Williams.
In this year's running of the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap, BODYLINE can relish the step up to a mile-and-three-quarters.
Sir Mark Prescott's now gelded son of Australia, could never quite get involved behind the smart Hukum in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot but gave the impression he would have gone close over the extra quarter mile he faces here.
Beaten subsequently in a small field at Newmarket, he did everything wrong taking a strong hold after a slow start and connections have clearly decided an operation might result in improved professionalism.
Of all the runners in this high-quality field, he looks perhaps the most likely to improve now given a greater test of stamina.
As has been the case all week, other races on a stella York card look hard to call but, in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes, THREAT can go close receiving weight all round.
Richard Hannon's colt returns to the scene of his dominant Gimcrack Stakes victory at this meeting 12 months ago and his two runs this season suggest seven furlongs could now be his ideal distance.
A strong traveller at Ascot (good to soft) first time out before fading into fifth behind Palace Pier in a red-hot St James's Palace Stakes (1m), Threat then looked flat to the boards from two furlongs out in the July Cup (6f).
A non-runner since because of testing ground, connections will be keeping an eye on conditions though the winning times were quicker than might have been expected yesterday.
At Sandown, DEAN STREET DOLL can get off the mark for her shrewd trainer David Menuisier in the Heed Your Hunch At Betway Handicap.
The ex-Irish filly joined the West Sussex-based handler earlier this year and has looked a winner in waiting on her last two starts on this course and at Goodwood.
On both those occasions, Dean Street Doll saw her race out well enough over a mile and a quarter but the drop back to this stiff mile on an easy surface could suit her better and she remains really well handicapped on some of her form in Ireland last year which included a second in the Derrinstown 1000 Guineas Trial and fifth (to Hermosa) in the Irish 1000 Guineas.
Posted at 1705 BST on 21/08/20
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