York Saturday preview: David Ord looks ahead to the big-race action

By David Ord

14:40 · TUE July 23, 2024

Ascot may stage a Group One on Saturday but the action at York isn't far behind in terms of star quality.

Get ready for a crackerjack renewal of the Sky Bet York Stakes for starters. If offers a clash of the generations and a horse who might just emerge as one of the key middle-distance performers of the late summer and autumn.

He’s Passenger, ruled out of the Coral-Eclipse and Royal Ascot after being struck down with a bug but entered at York and with Richard Kingscote slated in to ride.

We’d long hoped he was going to be the colt to give Sir Michael Stoute a big day or three in the twilight of his training career and the way he skipped clear of subsequent Royal Ascot winner Israr on his return in the Huxley Stakes at Chester definitely pointed in that direction.

This weekend will be be the first time we’ve seen him since, but if he has pretentions towards landing races like the Juddmonte International then he needs to be winning.

Opponents include last year’s winner Alflaila who shaped as if all the 2023 ability was still there when fourth behind Auguste Rodin in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot where he was bumped early and hampered at a crucial stage.

Alflaila comes through to win at York

Then there’s Royal Rhyme, a neck adrift of Alflaila at the Berkshire track when short of room himself.

He’s going to run, trainer Karl Burke saying: "The plan is very much to go to York on Saturday. I’d just love some dig in the ground for him, that would help, but the plan is to go to the Juddmonte International with this race en-route."

As for the three-year-olds, how about Jayarebe and King’s Gambit? They were first and second in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot where most watching on from the stands and in front of their televisions felt the runner-up was unlucky.

His undoing was not being able to take a pitch early as he made up ground hand over fist to close to within three-quarters-of-a-length of his enterprisingly-ridden rival at the line.

Will he find the tactical speed to sit closer on Saturday and take his revenge? And if he does, where does that slot him in against the established stars?

Whatever happens, these are two very smart and upwardly-mobile representatives of the Classic generation.

And that’s before we get to Summer Mile second and third Ancient Rome and Embesto, Gala Stakes winner Al Mubhir and St James’s Palace sixth Almaqam.

As I said at the top - some race.

Sky Bet York Stakes – sponsors bet: 13/8 Passenger 11/4 Alflaila 11/2 King’s Gambit 6/1 Royal Rhyme 9/1 Jayarebe 10 Bar

Clash of the generations for the Dash

And that’s just the headline act. In the Sky Bet Dash we have a host of seasoned spiriting gun-slingers set to clash with a bunch of three-year-olds still feeling their way in the game.

Dakota Gold was winning this very race before the likes of Woodhay Wonder were even born, and it’s remarkable to think he was rated 96 when beating Muscika and Jawwaal in the 2019 renewal. He returns on Saturday, aged 10, rated 91.

Aleezdancer won a similar contest over course-and-distance at the Dante meeting, Bergerac was back to winning ways at Newcastle last time and Hyperfocus prepares to run a straight six furlongs having whizzed around Chester to win his last two races.

Korker has top weight and a chance - when doesn’t he? - while Ferrous is worth another himself after being bumped and squeezed out in the Wokingham last time.

The three-year-olds are strongly represented here too. We’ve already touched on Woodhay Wonder who is deadly on the Rowley Mile but showed he operates elsewhere when finishing fourth in the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes at Royal Ascot. Back to six on Saturday will help him for all he's tough and quick.

Trefor is on a roll having won at Windsor and Newmarket the last twice, impressive too when slamming Rhythm N Hooves in a competitive race at Headquarters.

Two Tribes represents a yard clicking into top gear and he got going too late when fourth in a heritage handicap at the July meeting. There’s likely to be better to come from him.

They say of many a York handicap that you could run the race 10 times and get 10 different winners. That may be the case again with the Dash, but at this early stage I'm with Ferrous.

Sky Bet Dash – sponsors bet: 11/2 Trefor 6/1 Woodhay Wonder 8/1 Manila Scouse, Bergerac 10/1 Radio Goo Goo, Marine Wave, Korker, Aleezdancer 12/1 Hyperfocus, Two Tribes, Dare To Hope, Sily Wilkie, Dapper Valley 14 Bar

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