Karl Burke’s Al Qareem, who won two of York’s staying Cup races last season, heads the entries chasing more Knavesmire silverware in Saturday’s Sky Bet Race to the Ebor Grand Cup.
The seven-year-old beat Absurde to win the race a year ago and then followed up in the Silver Cup on John Smith’s Cup day in July. He’s already won the Virgin Bet Goliath Cup at Miussleburgh this season, but he will face up to nine rivals in his bid to win at York once more.
The opposition could include Sir Mark Prescott’s mare Tiffany, second in two Group 1s in Germany last season, David O’Meara’s Epic Poet and a rare Flat runner for top jumps trainer Olly Murphy in Roaring Legend.
Irish hopes in the £70,000 contest rest with Green Impact from Jessica Harrington’s yard, fourth in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup over a significantly shorter trip last time out.
The most valuable race on the Macmillan Charity card, the six-furlong sprint for £125,000, has attracted 30 three-year-olds for a contest with a distinguished winners' list.
Johnny Murtagh has an excellent record with horses he sends across the Irish Sea to York, most memorably landing the 2021 Sky Bet Ebor with Sonnyboyliston, and his entry for Chicago Pope, a Naas 'premier handicap' winner last time, catches the eye.
You do not see too many Godolphin runners in races such as this but Man Of Vision, on the wrong end of a photo-finish at the Guineas meeting at Newmarket last time, features among the entries as, from Yorkshire, is the Quinns' Cape Ashizuri, a winner at Pontefract on his only start this season.
There are 14 entries for the coveted prize for lady jockeys in the Queen Mother Cup. They include last year's winner Chillingham, now moved to Micky Hammond’s yard from Ed Bethell, and another who has changed stables - Prince Of The Seas. Now with David O’Meara, the gelding has Megan Jordan, disqualified last year, set to ride.
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