Havana Pusey arrives on a hat-trick, having beaten a subsequent winner over 6f at Windsor and landed a competitive heat on just her second go at 7f at Goodwood last month. Those performances didn't come out of the blue, as she was narrowly denied on her reappearance in a race that has worked out extremely well, and her latest Racing Post Rating of 98 suggests there could still be some mileage in this career-high mark of 93.
Balmacara was largely progressive on turf last year and recorded his best two Racing Post Ratings at this course, notably pulling 13 lengths clear of the third when runner-up to subsequent dual Group 3 winner Persica over 1m2f. It's easy to forgive his reappearance in March, given it was his all-weather debut, and he could relish the drop to a mile.
Adrian Keatley and Jody Townend teamed up to land this in 2023 with Kihavah and they can repeat the trick with Maghlaak, who was beaten just a neck over course and distance last month. He looked better for the new headgear combination of a tongue-tie and visor, which are refitted here, and can go one better off a 3lb higher mark.
Coto De Caza held an entry in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes, but she is yet to run this season and would be facing hardened rivals there, so this looks a good bit of placing. She arguably should have won her last four starts, given she raced away from the main action when third at Ayr in September, and her victory in the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes in October makes her the standout on official ratings. She has to carry a 5lb penalty, but the Racing Post Rating of 107 she achieved would have been good enough to win five of the last seven runnings and she is open to untold improvement this season, while any rain that falls will help her chances.
Alsakib, winner of last year’s John Smith’s Silver Cup over course and distance, made a promising reappearance in the Yorkshire Cup after a 209-day break on his first start since being gelded. He was held up in last in that steadily run affair and did the best of those who challenged towards the far side, so the run can be marked up. He's entitled to step forward for that run and could be hard to beat now dropped markedly in class.
Jouncy has been quite highly tried since winning a Goodwood maiden last July, finishing fifth in the Group 1 Middle Park in September following a close second in the Group 3 Serenia Stakes. Those two runs came in a visor and that headgear is refitted following two runs this year, latterly a fifth in the Listed Cathedral Stakes behind higher-rated older horses. He's bred to relish this step up in trip, given most of his siblings were at their best over at least this far, and could prove too good for his rivals in his first handicap.
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3.35 York
Churchill Tyres ing Macmillan Sprint Handicap, 6f
Fast Track Harry looked a useful prospect when making a winning debut at Newbury in September and that form has worked out well, with the next two home winning their following starts. He won his race in a time one second quicker than the first division won by stablemate Shameful, who was well ed when going close on his handicap debut at the Curragh off a mark of 90 last month. That makes Fast Track Harry's opening mark of 90 look workable, and he proved he handled faster conditions well when winning with plenty to spare after wind surgery and a 203-day break at Doncaster last month, so there is lots to like.
Wathnan Racing went to 360,000gns at the Craven breeze-ups for Tactical Formation, a Starman colt closely related to Byzantium, who was Listed-placed as a juvenile. He makes most appeal for Richard Fahey, who won this in 2016 and 2017.
David O'Meara is a dab hand at getting his runners in peak form to land a race for the second time and I'm hopeful he can do the same with Pisanello, who landed this race 12 months ago. He has gone nine runs without success since and hasn't threatened in two starts since a good reappearance, but it was a similar case last year and he has now dropped 7lb below that winning mark. Mark Winn, who was on board for that win, is in the saddle for the first time this year.
Mister Sox has improved massively since dropped to six furlongs on good ground, completing a hat-trick with something to spare at Ripon last month. He was by no means disgraced when eighth in a much higher grade over course and distance at the Dante meeting and now gets to run off a 3lb lower mark on this return to Class 4 company. He'll pose a much bigger threat.
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