'He's very good and whatever beats him will win' - Tim Easterby expecting big show from leading hope in £125,000 sprint handicap

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This is not only the feature race of this weekend, but one of the great early-season handicaps. Look at the yards, the owners and the ratings of the horses.

Throw in that these are three-year-olds bound to, at the very least, have a major say in the historic sprint handicaps later in the season. The jumps version of this race, something like the Greatwood Hurdle, would not be met with nearly as much indifference if it led a Saturday programme.

Something else that might work against the Macmillan Sprint, which proud punters and tipsters will rarely concede, is that it is exceptionally tough to solve. Think finding the winner of a maximum-field Coral Gold Cup, while also completing your paper of choice's weekend cryptic crossword.

Taking away those factors, the course is a major player too. York's straight track catches out some horses for no good reason, and the best place to race can vary from race to race, let alone meeting to meeting.

There was a classic demonstration of that in the last valuable sprint handicap here three weeks ago. More often than not, the low numbers have the better of it in sprints at York. Most of them gathered on that side, including the well backed Toca Madera, who followed the York playbook to the letter: ping the lids, stay towards the far side.

He ran perfectly well. Yet he finished third behind Partisan Hero, who effectively ran a solo from the second-highest stall, and sandwiched between two others who pulled wide and thundered home down the outside.

You must be prepared to get this race right and still lose. Pity those who backed Mill Stream, who won a July Cup 13 months after finishing third in this race three years ago. Choose your approach accordingly. I will back at least two or three horses from the following shortlist, which has built up from watching all the good three-year-old sprints this spring.

It just so happens they are all in the lower half of the draw. That guarantees nothing in an individual race, as Partisan Hero showed us, but it would qualify as playing the percentages.

Cape Ashizuri

The post-declarations market has been speaking against him, but he had looked among the most interesting of the ante-post favourites. His stable won a Group 1 with half-brother The Wow Signal and he beat a good field at Pontefract on reappearance, getting the run of the race more than the placed horses but also suggesting he has more to come himself as he learns and tightens up.

Advertised

Good course form, and an arguably unlucky second in another hot sprint for three-year-olds at the Craven meeting. Blew the start last time and has been gelded since. A third of his trainer's runners at York make the frame, which is impressive for a mid-table yard at one of the country's premier tracks.

First Legion

Smart View's selection, and my only quibble with the engine is whether he will be well enough handicapped to win a race like this. Has run with credit in some other good handicaps, including over 7f at the Dante meeting. I also reckon the race at Leicester he was fourth in last time will work out well.

Golden Brown

Has been deftly placed, winning £70,000 in prize-money while staying on a handicap mark of just 85. He has made his money in big sales races, including one at last year's Ebor meeting, and has spent 2026 so far playing in maidens. He won one last time, but there's more to come and this looks like something of a plan from a trainer who tends to know what he has with sprint handicappers. If you forced me to back only one horse in the race, it may be this one each-way.
Analysis by Keith Melrose

What they say

Karl Burke, trainer of Super Soldier and Reciprocated
Both of them want soft ground but it's a big prize and they seem well in themselves. It's a hard race to win and they'd be better on slower ground.

Grant Tuer, trainer of Advertised
He’s in good form and we’ve been waiting for this race for six weeks since his last run at Newmarket [gelded afterwards]. Everything has gone according to plan and he’s got a good draw in stall three.

Tim Easterby, trainer of Red Spells Danger and Go Vince Go
I made a right mess with Red Spells Danger – I was trying to make him get seven furlongs, I don’t know why. He's a very good horse. Whatever beats him will win, I think. Go Vince Go ran a good race at Hamilton and I think he’ll run well.

Hugo Palmer, trainer of Ruby’s Angel
She’s a course-and-distance winner and we’ve aimed her at this race since that day last August. She needed to win at Chester last time to get into the race, and we were very pleased with her performance from an unpromising position. She needs to take another step forward, but I'm hopeful that she will do so.

Brian Ellison: enjoyed a memorable Northumberland Plate success with Onesmoothoperator

Brian Ellison: runs Fortification, who has shown a liking for YorkCredit: Edward Whitaker

Brian Ellison, trainer of Fortification
He's done very well since we got him. He’s in good form, and we’re stepping up to six because there's so much money on offer. He’s been staying on well in his races over shorter, so I’d be hopeful. He clearly loves York, and has been working very well.

Ed Walker, trainer of Golden Brown
Golden Brown ran a lot of good races last year, notably when second in the Redcar Two Year Old Trophy, and won from a bad draw at Salisbury last month. We'll probably ride him with more restraint than when he ran at York last year.

William Haggas, trainer of Thunder Call
He's very inexperienced, but has talent and a good draw. I thought Tim Easterby would win with one of his.

Adam Ryan, assistant to Kevin Ryan, trainer of Alaminos
He was unlucky at Pontefract two starts ago, and then nothing went right for him at Chester. He's well weighted and his strong-travelling style is perfect for a race like this. He’s a horse with plenty of ability.
Reporting by Richard Birch

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