Cheveley Park outline York plans for stars with Audience set to take his chance in Britain's newest Group 1

Cheveley Park Stud are optimistic that last year's surprise Lockinge winner Audience can get involved at a big price in Britain's newest Group 1 at York's Ebor festival next week.

The Sky Bet City of York Stakes will come next for the six-year-old in a season that started with a Middle Eastern blip but offered an encouraging “glimmer” of a return to his best form in his latest run at Glorious Goodwood.

Having scored his only top-level success in the Lockinge at 22-1, Audience is a best-priced 20-1 for Britain’s only Group 1 over seven furlongs on Saturday week.

Cheveley Park racing manager Chris Richardson said: “It just really depends on which Audience shows up. If the Audience that we saw at Newbury, when he won the Lockinge, shows up he's going to be very competitive. But he's his own character.”

The John and Thady Gosden-trained gelding was ninth in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in April, seven lengths behind winner Believing, and was disappointing again when seventh of 12 at Haydock on his return to Britain in May.

However, a mid-season break brought an improved run in Group 2 company when third behind Witness Stand in the Lennox Stakes a fortnight ago.

Richardson said: “In hindsight going to Dubai didn’t really help him and, if anything, delayed his return to form. I think we saw a glimmer of the old Audience at Goodwood and I was so encouraged by that."

Estrange (blue cap): winner of the Lancashire Oaks last timeCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Also in the York reckoning for Cheveley Park is Estrange, who has won both starts this season and been labelled by David O'Meara as potentially the best horse he has trained.

The four-year-old filly is entered in the Group 1 Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks, for which she is a best-priced 5-1 second favourite behind Minnie Hauk, but Richardson said her participation was ground dependent.

With her only defeat in five runs being on good to firm, connections will be watching the weather forecast in the build-up to next Thursday’s race.

“If we get rain, we'll look to run her there and then we'll be able to plan the rest of her campaign,” said Richardson. “There's a possibility of some rain at York on Wednesday. We’ll go where there’s ease in the ground.

“She’s entered in the Arc and the Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot on British Champions Day, so she has options, and it's just a question of where the rain will come.”

Sky Bet City of York Stakes, Saturday August 23 (3.00, York)
Sponsor: 3 Never So Brave, 7-2 Maranoa Charlie, 5 Rosallion, Shadow Of Light, 6 Kinross, 8 Lake Forest, 10 Audience, 12 Whistlejacket, 14 Lazzat, 16 Notable Speech, 20 bar.

Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks, Thursday August 21 (3.35, York)
William Hill: 4-11 Minnie Hauk, 5 Estrange, 6 Whirl, 8 Qilin Queen, 12 Garden Of Eden, 16 You Got To Me, 20 bar.

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