Success Days and the rest: key angles for the Kanvesmire action

1. Can Success Days live up to his name and make trip from Ireland pay off?

Having posted a trio of Group 3 successes back home, the Ken Condon-trained Success Days attempts to add a Group 2 victory to his CV when lining up for the Sky Bet-sponsored York Stakes.

And connections will be delighted by every drop of rain that falls on the Knavesmire as the five-year-old relishes soft ground - all five of his career victories have come with the words 'yielding' or 'heavy' in the going description.

Condon said: "He's in very good form and travelled over well. He's a very consistent horse and has been running to his rating in his three races this year. They're due rain and the more they get the better his prospects. He's got a fighting chance."

On his last start at the Curragh, Success Day was beaten only half a length in a Group 3 on ground that might well have been as lively as he cares for, and his trademark bold front-running style is bound to make him a hard act to pass when the chips are down up the York straight.

2. O'Meara means business again with ten declared runners at his local course

Although David O'Meara insists he does not target races at York, the trainer, who is based a matter of minutes away in Upper Helmsley, has enjoyed plenty of success at the course in the last five years with 39 winners.

O’Meara said: "Looking at the races on Saturday I'll be happy to bag one winner as the entire card looks very difficult, which is only to be expected when they put up so much prize-money as the big trainers send plenty of runners.

"It's one of our local tracks and some of the owners live close by so it's great for them to have a bit of success, but I wouldn't say we target races at the course. If the horses are eligible for the races then we run them."

The 6f Sky Bet Dash has £50,000 up for grabs and O'Meara intends being four-handed with topweight Out Do joined by stablemates Al Qahwa, Watchable and Move In Time.

O'Meara finds it difficult to split the quartet and said: "Out Do really wants fast ground so any rain is a negative for him, but he's in very good heart and has won at York in the past. Al Qahwa on the other hand wants slow ground so should be fine if the rain comes.

"Watchable was third over course and distance earlier in the season so we know he likes the place and Move In Time is stepping back up to six furlongs for the first time in a while but was staying on strongly over five at the course a couple of weeks ago."

3. A tip in itself? Charlton sends one runner on a 460-mile round trip from Wiltshire

A year ago Roger Charlton landed the Group 2 on the corresponding card with Time Test. Twelve months on and the Beckhampton trainer's sights are somewhat lower as Fengate takes in the Sky Bet Supporting New Beginnings EBF Fillies' Handicap (5.00).

Fengate will be having only her second outing for Charlton as she changed hands earlier this year and had her first run for her new trainer when not disgraced at Salisbury last month after beginning her career in France.

Charlton said: "We've been looking for a suitable race with some cut in the ground and this looked the right opportunity. She hadn't run for quite a while before her first outing for us at Salisbury and might have just needed it, plus conditions were probably on the fast side for her. I'm hopeful track and trip will suit here."

4.Get Knotted to repeat the dose?

The Michael Dods-trained Get Knotted landed the opening 7f handicap (2.05) last year but has not managed to get his head in front since. However, he has the look of a horse that might be coming to hand at just the right time.

The five-year-old, who will again be partnered by Paul Mulrennan, could well be suited by the step back up to seven furlongs after a couple of solid-looking efforts in defeat over a furlong shorter.

Dods said: "He's had 11 races since he won the race last year and still finds himself 2lb higher in the handicap, so there's not much room to manoeuvre with him. He's pretty consistent and the handicapper doesn't relent as a result

"I didn't think he came down the hill at Hamilton very well last time just over a week ago but wasn't beaten that far so he should be much happier back on the flat galloping track back at York. He's in good form and we're hopeful of following up."

5. Can Gimcrack entry Staxton follow up at a shorter price?

Not many Tim Easterby two-year-olds manage to get their heads in front on debut, but Staxton proved an exception to that rule when causing a 50-1 shock at Haydock earlier this month.

The colt, who goes in the novice race (3.50), had to overcome greenness to score from what looked a very unpromising position at halfway before tenaciously wearing down a more experienced previous winner in the closing stages for a head verdict.

Easterby's recent record at York with two-year-olds leaves a bit to be desired as he has just two winners from 48 runners over the last five years, but connections obviously consider the son of Equiano to have plenty of potential as he holds an entry for the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes back at the course next month.

It is also worth noting that Easterby had a first-time-out juvenile winner at the track on Friday night, Wells Farhh Go, who won well.

York card