National Anthem should not be ignored on Knavesmire tomorrow as York racecourse bursts back to life on the opening day of the traditional three-day May Festival with a first-class programme.

Trained at Newmarket by Sir Michael Stoute, National Anthem bids for the £25,000 Shepherd Trophy Rated Handicap, and Richard Quinn's mount should take all the beating.

The Royal Academy colt showed definite signs of promise in his two outings last season as a juvenile and went into many notebooks on his return to action at Newmarket last month.

An easy-to-back 8-1 shot, National Anthem was beaten inches into fourth place in a blanket finish to a 13-runner maiden race won by Date, and left the impression that he would step up on that performance in due course.

Now into a handicap, and a tough one at that, National Anthem is not exactly thrown in at the weights. But he is a three-year-old of considerable potential and, with three furlongs further to travel than at Newmarket, he is awarded the nap vote.

Barafamy should be hard to beat in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes which takes pride of place, as always, on the opening day of this prestigious meeting.

Trained by the in-form John Dunlop, Barafamy won two of her four races last season, but her best effort was at Doncaster in September when she finished an excellent third to Calando in the May Hill Stakes.

A filly who gives the impression of being even more effective as a three-year-old, Barafamy can clinch this Group 3 prize and earn herself a crack at the Vodafone Oaks at Epsom next month.The Yorkshire Life Magazine Handicap opens the programme and Montecristo gets the vote. Rae Guest's charge suffered a nightmare run on his recent reappearance at Epsom, meeting all sorts of trouble before going down by just under two lengths to Kinnescash.

The William Hill Showcase Handicap offers Calcutta a knocking opportunity to fulfil the promise he showed at Newmarket last month.

The three-year-old, trained by Barry Hills, came from a long way off the pace to finish an eye-catching third to Billy McCaw over tomorrow's distance of seven furlongs.

Areydha will take a lot of catching in the EBF Novice Fillies' Stakes. Although she has yet to race, Areydha, a daughter of Cadeaux Genereux, has established a tall home reputation.

This was the race in which trainer Mick Channon introduced his star juvenile Bint Allayl last season and although Areydha will do well to match her exploits she should certainly not be underestimated.

The style of Knockholt's six lengths success over 5-4 favourite War Cabinet at Salisbury earlier this month was impressive and Sean Wood's colt can go in again in the Simon Storage Conditions Stakes.

York Racecourse

York racecourse is said to be "in superb condition" for tomorrow's first day of the three-day May Festival meeting.

Clerk of the course John Smith reported: "Following recent rain we are now good, good to soft in places.

"The track is in superb condition after last week.

"We have had two thirds of an inch of rain since last Wednesday which has just put it right.

"The forecast is for a fine day tomorrow with showers for the other two days. We could get some more rain tonight."

Recent improvements to the course include a new unsaddling enclosure.

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