Take Avonbridge to spoil a French party on Knavesmire tomorrow as the sprinters take centre stage in the feature race of the day.
With a field of 16 horses set to face the starter for the five-furlongs VC Bet Nunthorpe Stakes, all eyes will be on French raider Chineur, who boasts an unbeaten four from four this season and who won over this course and distance at the Royal Ascot meeting in June when landing the King's Stand Stakes.
Trained by Mikel Delzangles, who in the late 1980s worked as pupil-assistant to the late Malton trainer Jimmy FitzGerald, Chineur is a deserved favourite to land top honours in this £220,000 showpiece.
However, Avonbridge may prove his master. Trained by Roger Charlton and the mount of Steve Drowne, the five-year-old is a very able performer, as he proved when winning the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket on his reappearance.
A creditable third, after an interrupted preparation, in France next time, Avonbridge bounced back to finish a cracking second to Pastoral Pursuits in the July Cup at Newmarket last month.
That race, over six furlongs on slow ground, found out Avonbridge's stamina, and although tomorrow's lightning-fast five furlongs is the other extreme, this pacey individual is expected to have the required gears to cope.
Of the others, Benbaun looks to be progressing well and can not be left out of the equation, while La Cucaracha, despite taking a step up in class and a drop back in trip, looked a class act when winning on this course last month and could prove the liveliest outsider.
Blink and you'll miss it, is the reminder, but nap selection Avonbridge to come out on top of Chineur is my idea of the outcome.
Flashy Wings will be hard to beat in the Jaguar Cars Lowther Stakes.
Mick Channon's unbeaten filly looked the real deal when winning the Queen Mary Stakes here at the Royal Ascot meeting and, although forced to give weight away to all of her rivals tomorrow, this classy filly looks up to the task. Ted Durcan, as usual, has the mount.
The seven furlongs of the VC Bet City Of York Stakes could see Arakan, dropped in class, resume winning ways after a creditable Goodwood effort where he was inconvenienced by the easy ground and by meeting trouble in running.
Sir Michael Stoute and Kieren Fallon, responsible for Arakan, also have good prospects of landing the Persimmon Homes Handicap with Eden Rock, but my vote here goes to the ultra-consistent Langford, trained by Mark Tompkins and the mount of his smart apprentice Saleem Golam.
The step up to one mile and six furlongs should bring out the best in Tawqeet, who bids to gain her second win of the campaign in the Melrose Handicap, a typically competitive staying race for progressive three-year-olds.
Mick Kinane, at his brilliant best aboard Electrocutionist in yesterday's Juddmonte International, has a potentially smart mount in John Oxx's Kastoria in the EBF Galtres Stakes, a race the same jockey and trainer won last year with Tarakala.
The Malton Nursery, which closes the Ebor Festival, looks a tricky finale, but Right Ted looks to be progressing the right way and, already successful over this distance of seven furlongs, should give trainer Richard Hannon and jockey Richard Hughes a good run.
Thursday's tips
York
1.20 Arakan; 1.55 Flashy Wings; 2.30 Avonbridge (NAP); 3.05 Langford; 3.35 Tawqeet; 4.10 Kastoria; 4.45 Right Ted.
Chester
2.15 Mister Benedictine; 2.50 Cupid's Glory; 3.25 Algharb; 4.00 Qusoor; 4.35 Estrelle; 5.05 No Grouse.
Tomorrow's other race meetings are at Chepstow (evening, Flat), Fontwell (evening, National Hunt) and Wolverhampton (afternoon, all-weather Flat).
Updated: 11:46 Wednesday, August 17, 2005
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