Talking Horses: Eminency well set to mount challenge at York

T he three-year-old sprint handicap which is the centrepiece of York’s card on Saturday is always a good way to limber up for even sterner challenges which lie ahead at Royal Ascot next week, and the latest 22-runner renewal is no exception.

The more obvious possibilities include Quinault and Washington Heights, first and second respectively in a strongly run race at Newmarket in May, along with Quintus Arrius and Catch The Paddy, who are both stable companions of Washington Heights at Kevin Ryan’s stable.

Ryan is generally a trainer to follow on the Knavesmire but it is a concern that he has saddled only one winner from his last 43 runners, and Eminency (3.40), third home in Quinault’s race at Newmarket, makes most appeal at the likely odds. He is 4lb better off than Quinault having been beaten just over a length and ran well in the circumstances after a slow start at Windsor earlier this month.

Clive Cox will presumably have been working on Eminency’s tardiness at the gate and the grey is worth an interest at around 12-1 to give Cox a second successive victory in this race after Harry Three’s impressive win 12 months ago.

York 2.00 Kihavah’s course-and-distance win from a 5lb lower mark is comfortably the best piece of form on offer and the booking of Jody Townend is another big plus for the six-year-old’s prospects.

Sandown Park 2.15 The lightly raced Bodorgan, one of just two three-year-olds in the field, is the eye-catcher here. He progressed by the run as a juvenile, made a solid return to action at Haydock last month and runs off the same mark here. It also looks significant that William Buick comes in for the ride, as he has a 22% strike-rate and shows a 29-point profit to level stakes since the start of 2019