'This race looks right up his street' - Ryan going all out to win hot handicap

3.35 Newmarket
bet365 Handicap (Heritage Handicap) | 6f | 3yo | ITV4/RTV

Kevin Ryan has Hello Youmzain to look forward to in Saturday's July Cup but the trainer is pulling out all the stops to secure a Newmarket winner before then and is three-pronged in this valuable race.

Ryan will be representated by Oakenshield, Treble Treble and Byline.

"They're all in good form and all of a similar level," said Ryan. "Oakenshield won at Newcastle on the first day back and then stepped up to seven furlongs. He'll get that trip, but this race looks right up his street and he's not a slow horse by any means.

"Treble Treble ran nicely first time out and will have improved a fair bit for that outing.

"Byline was a good third in a pretty smart race at Haydock last time, where the first three pulled a long way clear, and I'm sure he's come on for that."

Brad The Brief was the winner of that Haydock race and reopposes here, but the Tom Dascombe-trained three-year-old is 5lb worse off this time. The son of Dutch Art finished third at the same track last weekend, but Dascombe is upbeat about his representative's chances.

He said: "Brad The Brief ran well at Haydock on Sunday against older horses when he wasn't right at the weights with them, and he's come out of it in good form. However, he would probably want a bit more rain."

This competitive 20-runner clash boasts a £60,000 prize fund and Mark Johnston will be bidding to secure a share of the bounty with the lightly-raced Meraas, who has scored on both starts since racing resumed last month.

What they say

Karl Burke, trainer of Classy Moon
He was disappointing at Ascot but that was over five furlongs, and we think he probably wants seven to be honest. But with his rating there's a lack of races for those types of horses so this is a bit of a recovery mission for him. He ran well last year in the July Stakes so he handles the track and hopefully he'll run a nice race.

Classy Moon: ran well at this meeting last yearCredit: Grossick Racing

Richard Hannon, trainer of Lexington Dash
He's been a huge improver all year and if he carries on improving he'll go very close.

William Knight, trainer of Progressive Rating
He's had a little bit of an interrupted spring. I'd have liked to have had another week with him in an ideal world, but I'm keen to run him on a nice track with some decent ground. I think he might just be in need of the run and not sure whether he's tuned in enough to be winning this, but he's a lovely horse and one for the future.

Sir Mark Prescott, trainer of Sunset Breeze
He's been running well and is up 6lb for his win at the weekend, so he's either well in or badly in, but it's a valuable race and he's won at Newmarket previously.

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