14-1 Mutakayyef a massive price with doubts about favourite

Postponed is an absolute superstar and he is clearly the horse to beat in the Juddmonte International (3.40) on the opening day of the Ebor meeting at York. However, he has lost the last six times he’s raced over 1m2f or shorter and the problems the Roger Varian yard has been having are well documented.

For those reasons he might be worth taking on today and, with the ground much quicker than Hawkbill has been running on, there might well be an upset. Hawkbill might well like the going, but his Eclipse and Royal Ascot wins came on soft ground and I’m not sure either of those efforts represents top form, as The Gurkha ran out of gas at Sandown.

Highland Reel definitely has a big chance on ground he will relish. In years gone by his front-running style would have been perfect for the Knavesmire, but that is not the case anymore and there is no way the other runners are going to let him dominate at his own pace, as was the case in the King George last time.