Cup specialist Blue Spinnaker, trained at Sheriff Hutton by Mick Easterby, can continue his seasonal haul by taking the major trophy on John Smith's Day on Knavesmire tomorrow.

The four-year-old lines up for the £140,000 John Smith's Cup, and, from a favourable single-figure draw, is napped to triumph in the hands of Easterby's smart apprentice Paul Mulrennan, who knows him well.

Mulrennan steered Blue Spinnaker to victory from a wide draw in the Thirsk Hunt Cup earlier this season and added the Zetland Gold Cup at Redcar to their scoresheet on their latest association.

That success was achieved in nail-biting style. For most of the way up the home straight Mulrennan found his path near the inside blocked by a wall of horses, but he finally extricated Blue Spinnaker inside the final furlong and got him home by a whisker in a blanket finish.

Off a 4lb higher mark tomorrow, Blue Spinnaker makes obvious appeal, especially coming from stall eight in a race which historically favours those drawn in low numbers.

Red Fort, a facile winner at Royal Ascot last time, has not fared anything like so well, being berthed in stall 16, while recent winner Arcalis (18) and Zero Tolerance (20), who is closely tied with Blue Spinnaker on Zetland Gold Cup form, also look disadvantaged.

Among those more favourably postioned are last month's comeback winner Starry Lodge (one), course-and-distance winner Ionian Spring (six) and the Queen's Promotion (nine), who represents Sir Michael Stoute and Kieren Fallon.

A cracking race is in store and hopes are high that this prestigious prize remains on 'home ground', with Easterby's Blue Spinnaker collecting his third - and most important - cup this season.

Courageous Duke was withdrawn from the big race this morning and replaced by the first reserve Vicious Warrior.

The speedy Right Answer can open the afternoon's action by winning the John Smith's 'Ave It' Nursery for Alan Jarvis and Kieren Fallon.

Stillington trainer David Chapman has Paddywack in such cracking form that his seven-year-old sprinter may be able to complete a hat-trick of wins by taking the John Smith's Extra Cold Handicap.

It would not surprise me to see Kareeb, winner of last year's John Smith's Cask Handicap, do the double, while I fancy Bourgeois, another previous course winner, to go well for Robert Winston and Tim Easterby in the John Smith's Extra Smooth Silver Cup Rated Handicap.

The feature race at Ascot is the £65,000 totesport Heritage Handicap, which I think Escayola can win to gain handsome consolation for his defeat in the Northumberland Plate.

William Haggas's gelding was unable to overcome a dreaded wide draw at Newcastle and deserves another chance to fulfil the promise he had previously shown when finishing strongly in second at York in a falsely-run race.

The £55,000 Michael Page International Silver Trophy offers Salselon the opportunity to get back in the winning groove.

Luca Cumani's high-class performer was narrowly beaten by Russian Rhthym in the Lockinge Stakes and finished third to Refuse To Bend at Royal Ascot last time. He is difficult to overlook here.

Saturday's tips:

York

2.05 Right Answer, 2.40 Paddywack, 3.15 Kareeb, 3.50 Blue Spinnaker (Nap), 4.25 Bourgeois, 5.00 Bahamian Magic, 5.30 Noora, 6.00 Reqqa.

Ascot

1.30 Whistler, 2.00 Salselon, 2.30 Escayola, 3.05 Propiniquity, 3.40 Sacred Nuts, 4.15 Pass The Port.

Chester

TV races: 3.00 Vanderlin, 4.10 Bishops Court.

Tomorrow's other meetings are at Hamilton (evening, Flat), Nottingham (afternoon, Flat) and Salisbury (evening, Flat).

Updated: 12:20 Friday, July 09, 2004