A tricky customer and a bob of the head - everything's coming up roses for William Haggas ahead of Ebor week

Surely no one in racing has more of a spring in their step right now than William Haggas, whose yard is in peak form ahead of the Ebor meeting. The trainer is a proud Yorkshireman (tautology) with a stack of interesting entries and every chance of adding to the trophy haul he took from Newbury on Saturday.

The Geoffrey Freer Stakes is not the most glamorous of Flat races, but there must have been plenty of satisfaction in winning it with Al Aasy. Now seven, he's been seen as a bit of a tricky customer since that long-ago day when it looked like he would win the Coronation Cup and then didn't. A month later, he was beaten at odds of 1-2 in the Princess of Wales's.

A gelding operation was carried out, more in sorrow than in anger one hopes, and connections reckon it has improved him. That's not really borne out by ratings – two runs from 2021 remain his best performances based on RPRs – but at least he's been winning and he looked stylish in cruising past Al Qareem on Saturday, though his stride then shortened in the last 75 yards, despite urgings from the saddle.