The York Ebor Festival is a fantastic meeting, we always enjoy our trips up there. They look after everyone so well and there’s always a lovely relaxed atmosphere with everyone getting on and enjoying the racing.

They should be congratulated for their commitment to excellent prize money across the board. It has made the meeting a real focal point of the summer and one where it is very significant to have winners.

We had three last year, but to be honest I’d settle for one this time with the rest running well. We don’t have a massive squad, although we’re going to be busier towards the end of the week.

13:55

Our sole runner on day one is Stone Of Destiny  who won well at the Shergar Cup a couple of weeks ago. This will be his third run in the past three weeks but you can do that with sprinters and he seems to be enjoying his racing.

He looks and seems really well but you just need everything to fall into place in these big field York sprint handicaps, particularly for him as he’d been a bit unlucky this season before Ascot. He’s certainly not without a chance in what is always a wide open race.

14:25

There doesn’t look to be a standout horse in the Acomb. Charlie Hills has a good record in the race and won it with Phoenix Of Spain last year, so his Persuasion  must be respected after winning at Goodwood on debut.

Aidan O’Brien’s Harpocrates  has plenty of experience and he has to be of interest in first-time blinkers. Aidan has so many to choose from for these races and this son of Invincible Spirit could be hard to beat.

15:00

I like the look of Constantinople  in the Great Voltigeur. He’s a big horse and I think the track will suit him better than Goodwood where he was a bit green. He has the profile of one of Ballydoyle’s St Leger horses.

I’ve been very impressed with Logician  on all three of his starts, but he needs to find again. Nayef Road  is a typically gutsy horse from the Mark Johnston stable – it should be a really interesting race to watch.

15:35

This is always one of the races of the summer and I really like King Of Comedy  , I think he’s potentially top notch.

He has that bit of speed and class that you need in a race like this. He’s been running over a mile, but he should be fine over this trip.

We still don’t know how good the three-year-olds are yet. Perhaps if Too Darn Hot hadn’t been around this horse would have gone to the Sussex Stakes where he may well have won.

Considering the ammunition John Gosden has it is surely significant that he has chosen King Of Comedy for this race.

Crystal Ocean  is a very good horse and the kind anyone would love to train or own. He was an excellent second to Enable in the King George last time, but he does have to concede 7lbs to the three-year-olds.

16:15

Another very competitive York handicap. A few years ago some of these would have been running in the Ebor, but it’s so hard to get in now that they have to come here instead.

Dubawi Fifty  is a really tough horse and even though he disappointed at Goodwood, I can see him running a massive race with Frankie Dettori booked.

He’s been placed in the Northumberland Plate, Ascot Stakes and Chester Cup, and a reproduction of any of those runs would see him go very close.

16:50

The six furlong nursery looks an absolute minefield. I suppose the obvious one is Oti Ma Boati  on her first start for William Haggas.

She won all three for Richard Fahey and has a nice racing weight. You have to respect William’s horses at this meeting, he always targets it.

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