'The John Smith's Cup is very much the plan' - quotes and analysis for York's big-field £70,000 handicap

Unusually for a big-field handicap worth £70,000, there are just two course winners in the 17-runner line-up.

Reach has been placed or better on all three of her starts at York, including when scoring over this 1m2½f trip last August. The mare performed with credit off a 5lb higher mark than that win after 266 days off when third over course and distance on last month’s reappearance.

She should be competitive off the same rating of 87 here but meets Qitaal, whom she beat by a nose on Yorkshire Cup day, on 1lb worse terms.

Scampi is the other with previous winning experience on the Knavesmire, albeit that came when she was rated 9lb lower and over a furlong and a half longer trip. The six-year-old has never made a successful seasonal debut and is likely to need the run on his first start for 244 days for Andrew Balding, who is also represented by Old Harrovian.

The two-time novice winner managed only 11th of 14 when sent off the 9-4 favourite for his handicap debut at Kempton last time and will obviously need to step up from that comeback.

Another who fell well short of market expectations on their last outing was Godwinson, who beat just one rival at Newbury having understandably been a 7-4 favourite after his runner-up effort in the Spring Cup at that track and trip on his previous start.

He is upped in distance by William Haggas with 1m2½f the longest trip he has tackled and the same is true of Ron O, the sole last-time-out winner in the line-up.

What they say

Ed Bethell, trainer of Oviedo
It's a class drop which is always a big thing and I think [a mark of] 104 in a handicap is workable. Things just didn't go right for him in the Huxley, the way the race was run just didn't suit him. The ground would be a concern, he wouldn't want it bottomless.

Penzance: reverts to turf after winning four of his last five starts on the all-weatherCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Chris Dixon, member of The Horsewatchers, owners of Penzance
He's not shown his form on the turf in his two starts previously but one was his debut and the other was a quick turnaround. We didn't have him at that point and this will tell us plenty. He's been ready to run for a while but conditions went very testing at a couple of meetings, so we've just held onto him. We'd probably want slightly quicker ground but the John Smith's Cup is very much the plan, so it makes sense to get a run into him now.

Ray Craggs, trainer of Ron O
He ran over a mile and a quarter at Redcar once and he was placed. This is more of a step up in trip but I do think think he'll stay. I hope there's plenty of pace on.

Harry Eustace, trainer of Mustazeed
A big handicap where they go a good gallop is made for him and if we get lots of rain, it'll make him very competitive. We had to wait a long time to get to Newbury, the options in between didn't come out right on the ground. They didn't go that quick and the ground wasn't that soft, so they just sprinted on him. I don't think it was a bad return and mentally, he's going to improve for it.

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