Can anyone stop Kinross as he bids to repeat last year's victory in the City of York?

This was one of the strongest Group 2 races run all last season and six of the nine who competed 12 months ago are back for another crack at it, including the first three home.

Kinross easily beat Pogo and Sandrine into second and third that day, but it’s those who finished further behind who are considered the bigger dangers to Kinross in this year’s race.

Al Suhail and Sacred finished fifth and sixth, but both have shown significantly better form since. However, in Al Suhail’s case, all of his best runs came at Meydan over the winter and he needs to prove he can reproduce his best in Britain following a poor run at Ascot last time.

For Sacred, it is the York track which poses the question. She was a beaten favourite on both starts at the course and is yet to better a Racing Post Rating of 107 here. That is 9lb below her best figure, so it remains to be seen whether she can match Kinross at this venue.

It was good to firm when Kinross won last season and, while he would ideally prefer more juice, there is a good chance that he will outclass the opposition if he repeats last year’s form.

Isaac Shelby wasn’t in the line up 12 months ago and he also loves mud. The ground was on the soft side of good when he ran Kinross to a neck in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood last time and his last win was on testing going at Newbury. He will be a player if the rain comes.

He is one of three three-year-olds in the line up, alongside Covey and Olivia Maralda. The Classic generation have a good comparative recent record, going 5-28 in the last ten years. Older horses are 5-77, so it won't be a surprise if the younger generation comes out on top.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

'Perfect ground' for returning Jumby

A non-runner in the Lennox and Hungerford Stakes because of easier ground, Jumby has his connections praying the rain stays away.

The Anthony Pye-Jeary and David Ian-owned five-year-old, who is trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, was impressive in Haydock's John of Gaunt Stakes in June, but has been off since the start of July.

"It's perfect ground at the moment, so hopefully it doesn't rain," said the Oxfordshire-based trainer. "He's in grand form and the race is very hot, but I think his form this year is better than ever and he should be involved."

Jumby disappointed in the race 12 months ago – his sole start at York – but Johnson Houghton added: "Either the course doesn't suit him, or I think it's the case that he'd won the Hungerford Stakes the week before and the weather was unbelievably hot. I think he could have been suffering from that. We didn't see it before, but we did in the race."

Johnson Houghton described the prize-money on offer – £283,550 to the winner – as incredible and John Gosden, who saddles Audience and Covey, said: "I think York need huge congratulations to put the City of York, a Group 2, at this level of prize-money. You can do nothing but applaud a racecourse that’s trying to do this to attract runners."

What they say

Thady Gosden, joint-trainer of Audience and Covey
It's a step up in class for both in a race that has deservedly attracted a top-class field. Audience won a Group 3 nicely on his return on the Newmarket July course and then finished sixth on soft at Goodwood. He may enjoy the return to a sounder surface. Things didn't pan out for Covey at Royal Ascot, but he's had a break since then and has been in good form at home.

Ralph Beckett, trainer of Kinross
He worked well at the weekend and I was very happy with him — he's looking forward to it as much as I am. I would've preferred a drop of rain, but he won this race last year on fast ground. I think York suits him particularly well.

William Haggas, trainer of Sacred
I hope it doesn’t rain for her. If it stays quick she'll run a very good race.

Brian Meehan, trainer of Isaac Shelby
He's won a Group 3 on very soft ground and he's won a Group 2 on quick ground, so we're comfortable whatever conditions are and York is a good speed track, which will suit. We feel really good. He's in a great place at the moment and came out of his last run at Goodwood in seriously good shape.
Reporting by James Burn

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