TippingPlay of the day

Paul Kealy's play of the day at York

Mirsky

2.45 York

You won't get many draw clues from the Oakmere Homes Hambleton Handicap (2.45) as in the past ten years there have been three winners from stall one and three more from 16, so let's just try to focus on who might be the best-handicapped horse.

I reckon it might be David O'Meara's new recruit Mirsky, who ran a blinder on his stable debut when fifth in the Thirsk Hunt Cup after having to challenge widest in the straight.

That was an excellent start on his first run since being gelded and O'Meara, who picked up the former Freddie and Victoria Head-trained five-year-old for just €37,000, does really well with his purchases from France, especially milers.

Mirsky won four times in France, all on officially good to soft ground (as it was at Thirsk), but the French and British versions of good to soft can be poles apart, so I wouldn't mind betting he'll be fine on a faster surface.

He wasn't beaten that far by the likes of Al Hakeem and Facteur Cheval when third in a couple of Listed races as a three-year-old, and he has the potential to be a little bit better than a mark of 98.