Softer ground needed for Ebor favourite Flymetothestars to run

Sir Mark Prescott is banking on the unsettled weather continuing for his Betfred Ebor favourite Flymetothestars, who will only line up at York on Saturday week if the ground is soft enough.

Flymetothestars, the 8-1 market leader for the £285,000 handicap, was beaten less than a length when third in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle last month, having won three of his four starts before that outing.

However, all five starts have been on the all-weather and Prescott, who landed the 1994 Ebor with Hasten To Add, wants soft to feature in the official going on the Knavesmire, where the ground was reported to be good, good to firm in places on Wednesday.

The trainer said: “Flymetothestars will only run if there is ‘soft’ in the ground description. It’s a very unusual situation, isn’t it? He's never run on turf in his life.

“He ran extremely well in the Northumberland Plate and hence he's such a short price. But he's never run on turf, only on all-weather.”

While Flymetothestars will need rain to arrive, stablemate Marsha is being primed to contest the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes having shown useful form on good to firm ground at Royal Ascot and soft going at Glorious Goodwood.

Marsha: set to tackle Lady Aurelia and Battaash again at YorkCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Marsha is a 10-1 shot for the 5f Group 1 and Prescott believes the four-year-old will need to step up to lower the colours of Lady Aurelia and Battaash.

He said: “She’s very consistent, has run in all the top sprints this year and been placed every time. The Nunthorpe looks a marvellous race with some very, very fast horses in it and she's entitled to be there but Lady Aurelia and Battaash have both beaten her this year.

“They've beaten her fair and square, but in sprints tiny little things make a big difference.”

Ebor entries

Nunthorpe entries

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