York Saturday preview: What the trainers say

3.35 York - Sky Bet Ebor Handicap

Hipop De Loire bids to follow in the hoofprints of Absurde when he lines up in the Sky Bet Ebor for Willie Mullins.

Famously now the champion British jumps trainer alongside his perennial Irish crown, Mullins again has his sights on the Knavesmire as he seeks a third Ebor after collecting 12 months ago, thanks in no small part to a magical Frankie Dettori ride on Absurde.

Mullins – who first struck in the big handicap with Sesenta in 2009 – could again have bookmakers running for cover with German recruit Hipop De Loire, who was second over hurdles on his stable debut at Galway and will have the assistance of Colin Keane in the saddle.

The son of American Post does have Flat credentials, having taken Listed honours when trained by Michal Borkowski, and assistant trainer Patrick Mullins is confident the seven-year-old will be competitive.

“His work at home is very good, he ran very well in a hurdle race for us at Galway. He was beaten by another highly-rated Flat horse in Jackfinbar,” he said.

“Absurde got beat in a hurdle at Galway before winning the Ebor last year, so that’s not a bad prep! He’s run on good ground on the continent, so we are hopeful he will go on it.

“He’s been given a mark of 102, which obviously says his form is strong, and like I said, his work has been good, so we feel he is competitive off that mark and having the Irish champion (jockey) Colin Keane is a big plus.

“There’s huge prize-money, people aim for it and obviously the stamina of the race opens up to jumps’ trainers as well with the mile and six around York.”

Burdett Road has been targeting this race since a setback ruled him out of the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The four-year-old, who was a winner at Royal Ascot when trained by Michael Bell before switching to James Owen, made his reappearance on the level in the John Guest Racing Handicap at the King George meeting, finishing less than four lengths behind the winner in fifth.

Owen is sure there is improvement to come from that reappearance and said: “He’s great, I couldn’t be happier with him. I was pleased with his comeback run at Ascot, he settled well and stayed on well at the line.

“He looks to have come on massively for that, he had a racecourse gallop last week which has hopefully put him spot on. I’m happy with the draw, very happy with that, and it’s all systems go. I can’t wait for Saturday. He’s entitled to improve a lot from the Ascot run.

“This has been his target since we had that minor setback and he had a nice break. The Gredley family (owners) wanted a crack at the Ebor, it’s good prize-money and they want to support it, and hopefully try to win it.”

My Mate Mozzie’s handler Gavin Cromwell hopes to add his name to what has been a growing list of Irish-trained winners in recent years, with five of the last 10 renewals going to runners from the Emerald Isle.

“I think he will be reasonably suited to the race and hopefully there’s a steady pace in it,” the Danestown trainer said.

“A little bit of rain would be no harm to take the sting out of the ground. As expected, it is a very competitive race, but I hope he will be competitive in it.

“I suppose I would have probably preferred to have a lower number (drawn 13), but it is what it is and we will have to leave it in the hands of Gary Carroll (who was successful aboard Sesenta). He knows him, he’s ridden him plenty, so it’s definitely a positive.”

Runner-up to the rapidly-improving Crystal Black at Royal Ascot, Epic Poet will be attempting a mile and three-quarters for the first time and trainer David O’Meara admits the trip will be an unknown for the five-year-old, who is drawn in stall 16.

“He’s in good form. I think it does (draw make an impact), if you’re wide you have to decide to go forward and hope to get in, or take back and maybe end up too far back, so I do think it will make a huge difference,” said O’Meara, whose charge was last seen finishing fifth here in the John Smith’s Cup.

“I hope he stays the trip. It’s more of an unknown than a concern – if it works, brilliant, and if it doesn’t, then we know.”

O’Meara has a second representative through Iron Lion, while Aidan O’Brien has booked James Doyle for Queenstown and Yorkshireman William Haggas looks to Naqeeb to give him what would be a cherished first Ebor.

Also of note is Brian Ellison’s Northumberland Plate winner Onesmoothoperator aiming to emulate Sergeant Cecil in adding the Ebor to his victory in the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’ at Newcastle.

1.50 - Sky Bet Strensall Stakes

See The Fire will attempt to scorch up the Knavesmire and get her moment in the spotlight when she goes for glory in York’s Sky Bet Strensall Stakes.

Andrew Balding’s filly, who sports the famous purple and blue colours of Jeff Smith, has only won once in her seven-race career, but has campaigned in Group One company on the last five occasions.

A staying-on fifth in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, she has been tested against the very best Ballydoyle has to offer since upped in trip the last twice.

An honourable fourth to Aidan O’Brien’s City Of Troy in the Eclipse, the daughter of Sea The Stars then pushed Opera Singer all the way when denied by a neck in the Nassau Stakes.

With no O’Brien-trained rivals and a drop in grade, connections are now hopeful See The Fire will get the victory her efforts have deserved.

“Hopefully she goes to York with a great chance,” said Balding. “She’s had a good season, although she hasn’t won yet this year, but particularly in her last couple of starts she has shown she has got the ability we hoped she would and hopefully she will have a good chance.

“These races are difficult to win, as they should be, but she’s in great form and we hope she will go well.

“The trip shouldn’t be a problem. We had hoped she would be a Guineas horse earlier in the season, so she’s not a slow horse by any means.”

Roger Varian’s Enfjaar returns to the scene of his terrific John Smith’s Cup success after his near-miss in a similar event at Goodwood.

He is one of two for owners Shadwell along with Owen Burrows’ Alyanaabi, who has always been held in high regard and finished fifth in the 2000 Guineas earlier in the year.

A beaten favourite at Newbury last time, he now drops a furlong in distance as his team hope to erase that uncharacteristic blot on his copybook.

“We have hopefully put a line through Newbury and tactics-wise we got that wrong,” said Burrows.

“We will go back to what we know and hopefully we can get him back on track.

“There have been some decent runs this year, the Guineas looks strong form with what the front two (Notable Speech and Rosallion) have done and Clive Cox’s horse (Ghostwriter) was only a neck in front of us and ran a blinder in the International.

“He has some form there and hopefully it was just a blip last time, we’re very happy with him at home and hopefully he can get back on track.”

While Alyanaabi faltered in the Steventon Stakes, George Scott’s Phantom Flight thrived to see off the challenge of Al Aasy and register an impressive victory.

Al Aasy turned the tables on Scott’s five-year-old when they clashed over 12 furlongs at Goodwood, but the Newmarket handler is excited to drop back in trip with the Victorious Racing-owned gelding .

Scott said: “We really think coming back in distance will suit him and obviously he has to go and prove it, but going to Goodwood I was very much on the fence over whether he would stay or not.

“I just wanted to find out early as it would clarify running plans with him, but he has been showing more and more speed in his work and I’m very hopeful this will be more his trip.

“He’s a track winner and we know York can be a specialist track which is part of the decision in going for this race.

“It’s a strong race, as you would expect, but I’m really looking forward to it and trying him over this trip and on this ground. We’re getting to know him better and better now and are very pleased with him.

“He might have to pull out a career best to win this race and it remains to be seen whether he is capable of that, but for me all the boxes are ticked heading into the run anyway.”

Ralph Beckett’s Task Force stretches out in distance having finished a close-up third to fellow Juddmonte-owned runner Lead Artist in the Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood.

Runner-up in the Middle Park before being set some stiff assignments in the early stages of his three-year-old career, it was a promising run from the son of Frankel with his team still learning about the colt’s full capabilities.

“We sort of felt after the 2000 Guineas that he looked like he might get a bit further than a mile and when he ran in the Jersey (Stakes at Royal Ascot), that kind of confirmed we needed to go up rather than down in trip,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“He ran well the last day at Goodwood, didn’t get much luck in running but finished well and hit the line strong, and definitely suggested that another furlong would be within his compass.

“This will tell us a bit more about whether we can go another furlong on top which will open up a few more options going forward and I think he is starting to come back to his best.

“Andrew Balding has a good filly in there who will be tough to beat, but if he runs a nice race and we learn a bit more about him, we will be happy.”

3.00 York - Sky Bet City Of York Stakes

Audience is out to enhance his stellar 2024 campaign by going one better than 12 months ago in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes.

John and Thady Gosden’s five-year-old had to settle for second behind Kinross last year but has taken his form to the next level this term.

A shock winner of the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May, he failed to figure in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, but thrived for a drop back to seven furlongs in the Lennox Stakes last month.

He ran out the most impressive winner at Goodwood – coming home four lengths clear of Tim Easterby’s reopposing Art Power – and the mount of Robert Havlin arrives on the Knavesmire with plenty of momentum.

“He has no Group One penalty to carry, which is obviously an advantage, and he ran very well in this race last year when he was second to Kinross,” said Chris Richardson, managing director of owners Cheveley Park Stud.

“I think Goodwood showed seven furlongs suits him better than the stiff mile at Ascot, where he ran very well in the Queen Anne but probably didn’t quite get home.

“It’s a competitive race, as ever, but if he can produce his last run, hopefully he’ll be right there.”

Kinross could only finish third behind Audience in the Lennox Stakes but has fond memories of both York and this race as Ralph Beckett’s consistent stalwart seeks his third successive victory in the Group Two event.

Another previous Ebor Festival winner in the race is William Haggas’ Lake Forest, who lifted the Gimcrack at this meeting 12 months ago and now moves up in trip after two fine runs in defeat so far this season.

Second to Inisherin when reappearing in the Commonwealth Cup, he bumped into another Sheikh Obaid-owned speedster when runner-up to Elite Status at Newbury.

Owned by Brighton & Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom in partnership with Ian McAleavy, the son of No Nay Never relishes quick ground with his team hoping conditions will allow him to put his best foot forward.

Haggas said: “He’s in really good form and this is the race we want to have a go at, but he doesn’t want any cut in the ground. He wants really quick ground and hopefully it will be fast enough on Saturday.

“We’re not (completely) sure about the trip, there’s enough on the dam’s side of his pedigree to say he wants the trip. I don’t know really though, he certainly races well over six furlongs but he looks like seven will suit him well as he’s been a strong finisher twice this year.

“He’s never been better than at the line both times, so it could be that he is better over seven maybe, but we will see.

“In the Commonwealth Cup it was a strong race and the Hackwood Stakes was a much better race than the grade, so he’s done well.”

Shouldvebeenaring has also struck at this meeting in the past and Richard Hannon’s colt has risen through the ranks since winning the valuable Goffs sales race as a two-year-old.

Now a regular in Group-race company, he has primarily run over six furlongs with connections now keen to test the waters once again up in distance.

“We’re sort of undecided whether his best trip is six or seven furlongs, but if I had to go for one I’d probably say seven,” said Tim Palin of owners Middleham Park Racing.

“He’s a genuine Group One/Group Two performer and we’d love to make him a Group One or Group Two winner before the end of the season.

“I think he goes to York with a fighting chance. He’s tightly matched with Kinross and Lake Forest. Audience is perhaps the class horse in the field and was an impressive winner at Goodwood, but I do wonder whether he and Art Power got loose on the front end that day.

“Hopefully the ground is fast. There are showers forecast I believe and we could do without any rain as fast ground is him playing at home.

“It is slightly more than seven furlongs and over that trip we could do without a slog in a bog.”

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