There’s probably more than a hint of northern bias involved when previewing the John Smith’s Cup Handicap at York ahead of all the delights on offer at Newmarket on the same 'Super' Saturday early next month, but I make little apologies for that as it’s always a brilliant contest.
There was an incredibly exciting finish 12 months ago as Johnny Drama just held on from Cockalorum and Strait Of Hormuz to give Andrew Balding a second success in the race, both achieved inside the past three years thanks to Pivoine’s 2019 victory in the same King Power Racing silks.
Good Birthday – ninth last July and well down the field in 2020 – could end up making the cut for the same trainer-owner combination this summer, though his candle looks to have gone out rather so far this year and he's down the list of entries at number 36, with only 22 guaranteed a start.
The two current market leaders are Anmaat and Mahrajaan, both of whom sit well inside the current top-22 and run under the banner of Shadwell Estate.
Anmaat, trained by Owen Burrows, hasn’t raced at all since last September which is a little off-putting despite the fact he was seriously progressive at that point, while Mahrajaan represents Yorkshire-born William Haggas and is another very lightly-raced four-year-old who ran as though a drop back in trip would do him no harm when third over a mile and a half on his seasonal debut at Haydock.
The past four John Smith’s Cup winners had all raced over a longer distance on their previous start, the 2018 hero Euchen Glen even dropping back from two miles of the Northumberland Plate.
It’s not always the case, though, with Master Carpenter (2015) and Ballet Concerto (2017) successful on the Knavesmire having moved up from a mile. The latter ran in the Royal Hunt Cup on his way to York and that’s the way I’m leaning this time as GREATGADIAN ran a really game race in that one-mile cavalry charge earlier in the month.
Another in the white and blue of King Power, Roger Varian’s representative was clearly outpaced by the likes of Dark Shift – who had strong form in seven-furlong handicaps – but he travelled fairly sweetly just off the pace through the early stages and was boxing on bravely over the final furlong and a half as well (replay below).
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It was the sort of run that left me in no doubt the son of Siyouni remains in really good form, having returned to action with back-to-back handicap wins over this 10-furlong trip earlier in the spring, and he’s definitely worth another chance to prove he’s up to defying his revised mark of 102.
Having given subsequent two-time winner and now 102-rated Peter The Great 3lb and a three-quarter-length beating on the second aforementioned outing at Chelmsford, Greatgadian shouldn’t be in the grip of the assessor in theory, and I love the fact his peak three-year-old performance came fourth time out on proper summer ground at Nottingham at precisely this time of year last term.
Varian has other major candidates in at York, not least impressive Epsom winner Royal Champion (12/1) who is up 8lb to a mark of 105, but a few firms have his King Power-owned stablemate almost twice the price which looks a bit wayward. A small, early win-only bet at 20s is the advice.
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