2.25pm York - Group 3 Acomb Stakes
This is a really fascinating contest to kickstart the Group action on day 1 of York's Ebor Festival, and although I really liked the look of Ruling Court on his debut win at Sandown, I think he will have a real battle on his hands with Aidan O'Brien's The Lion In Winter, who actually posted a better Racing Post Rating on debut than the Charlie Appleby horse.
The son of Sea The Stars was actually Aidan O'Brien's second string on his debut win over 7 furlongs at the Curragh, and there was a short-priced favourite that day, while this lad was sent off 11/2, so was actually little bit of a surprise winner on debut.
The Lion In Winter was kept midfield throughout, and as soon as he was nudged along by Wayne Lordan, he responded very well and won going away by a little over two lengths in the end, looking like the eventual step up in trip will suit him in the long run. The short-priced Aidan O'Brien horse that day was Ides Of March, who has since come out and landed a Curragh maiden by a little over 2 lengths, so does look a nice prospect in his own right.
The Lion In Winter was making his debut against rivals who had experience under their belts, and the fact that he won in such a manner would suggest this is a talented animal. Also, whenever a horse wins at the Curragh it has to be marked up, as maidens at that venue are usually very hot contests who spring up the best horses from Ireland.
As mentioned, Ruling Court was very impressive to the eye on his debut at Sandown and was a very expensive breeze-up purchase, so there could be a fascinating battle between the two main runners at the top end of the market.
However I am siding with the Aidan O'Brien horse, who looks like he could have a little bit more under the bonnet at this stage.
- Selection - The Lion In Winter (9/4 Win)
3.00pm York - Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes
Although Los Angeles was a nice winner of the Irish Derby last time out, fending off the fast-finishing challenge of Sunway, he was helped by the fact that Ambiente Friendly did not stay the 1m4f trip at all, and the field itself did actually lack that little bit of quality.
The fact that Aidan O'Brien chucks him in this with a possible tilt at the St Leger next month is interesting, but I am firmly behind King's Gambit, who has been a really nice improver since landing the London Gold Cup at Newbury two runs ago. He was rated just 93 that day, and the manner in which he won the Newbury feature suggested he was a Group horse in a handicap, and that has shown that the new mark of around 116 is not below his capabilities.
Harry Charlton's son of Saxon Warrior was a very unlucky runner-up in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he was given a little too much to do down the home straight, but he did flash home and was only beaten by three quarters of a length in the end, looking like he was by far the best horse in the contest that day.
Next time out he was pitched up in class once again when lining up against older horses in the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes at York, and although he was getting plenty of weight off the rest of the field as a young horse, the race was far from perfect for him and quite frankly was a bit of a farce of a race. That might have been Callum Sheppard's doing as he tried to lead with this horse, going at a very slow pace throughout. I don't think he is the sort to want to lead at all, but his hand was forced then due to the small field and the fact no one else wanted to lead when they came out of the stalls. He lines up against five rivals for the first Group 2 of the week on Wednesday, but hopefully there will be a little bit more pace for him to aim at in this.
As mentioned he has come on in leaps and bounds this season since winning his first start at Newbury, and I think there is more improvement to come from Harry Charlton's stable star who deserves to land his first Group contest of his career.
Back down against the three-year-olds here, he ran very well and was only beaten by half a length last time out, and the winner of that race is set to line up in the Juddmonte International Stakes later on in the card.
- Selection - King's Gambit (9/4 Win)
3.35pm York - Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes
This is a really good contest and is the reason why we all love horse racing. We have 13 proper Group horses from the UK, Ireland, Japan and France battling it out for the £710,000 prize pot that is on offer for the winner on Wednesday. I am so excited for this race as it is a true Group 1 contest, maybe one of the first ones outside Royal Ascot this season, so I just hope it lives up to what we are all expecting.
As in most major Group 1 contests, they all have to beat an Aidan O'Brien superstar in the shape of City Of Troy, and although he was not quite at his sparkling best in the Coral-Eclipse last time out, that was on unsuitably soft going.
Even though he did scrape home last time out, Al Riffa ran a very good 2nd then and he has since come out and landed a Group 1 over in Germany, so there is plenty of substance to that form.
If you go back to City Of Troy's Derby victory on proper good summer ground, he absolutely loved the occasion and did even change his lead legs on multiple occasions when getting in front down the Epsom straight, which shows how there was so much more left in his locker as he fairly powered away in the closing stages, with Ryan Moore struggling to pull him up once again.
He probably wasn't quite 100% last time out, but the fact that he still won on ground that does not suit him at all would suggest this is a very good animal. No matter what you think with the gaslighting from Aidan towards him for breeding purposes, at the end of the day he is the highest rated horse in the field who arrives into this race after back-of-back to back Group 1 victories.
He was the highest rated two-year-old since Frankel, and although there is a slight blip in his CV with the Guineas run, he is still a high-level performer who is a little unlucky to not still be unbeaten in his career.
Naturally there might be a few comparisons with him and Auguste Rodin, but I think City Of Troy showed last time out that he should not be compared to his stablemate, as he seems a little more switched on upstairs. He won't blow you away in the parade ring, but it is clear to see he knows he is good on the track and a very clever animal.
I can't wait to see him back out here on Wednesday, and yes he would need by far a career best to beat some true Group 1 animals here, but the ratings do not lie and he is the one they all have to beat.
A decently priced alternative who I will also put up as a selection is Zarakem, and despite not being the biggest fan of French raiders coming over when we are expecting good-to-firm ground, Goliath showed in the King George that the French horses can actually act in the summer conditions.
A multiple Listed winner as well as a Group 2 winner in his native country, it was his run last time out that was by far a career best for him when coming a very gallant runner-up by three quarters of a length to Auguste Rodin in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at the Royal meeting in June.
He was sent off 33/1 in the market, so was overlooked somewhat and although he did run well to come second, he was arguably a little unlucky to not finish closer to the winner that day as he was squeezed for a little bit of room in the closing stages.
However, he still ran with much credit on the good-to-firm ground, and with the same expected on Wednesday for the Juddmonte, he could outrun his big odds and land another top Group 1 contest in the UK for France.
Bluestocking has to give the younger horses a little bit of weight here, and this is the best race she has ever run in, but that King George 2nd last time out was a really creditable effort and she will no doubt be there late in the day come the end of the race. The one concern is the step down in trip for her, as I think she is better over the real middle-distance trips.
It does come as a bit of a surprise that she does not go for the Yorkshire Oaks later on in the week, but connections are clearly confident she can run well in this. What a race, I can't wait to sit back, watch it and enjoy.
- Selections - City Of Troy (5/4 Win) & Zarakem (12/1 Each Way)
All previews and tips provided by @ Jake Russell