The ominous Mullins-Ricci combination enter Thomas Hobson, who sits at the top of the market for the long-distance Lonsdale Cup on day three of the Ebor meeting.
Thomas Hobson was a winner of the Class 2 Ascot Stakes at the Royal Meeting this year. Then he almost followed that up to get a double on the week in the conditions race only to be mowed down by Oriental Fox near the finish.
Both of those races were in excess of 2m 4f, and the drop back to two miles is a slight concern with him having such abundant stamina. He is probably versatile enough – based on his best hurdling form – to be competitive at this trip, but the ultimate aim is to run him in the Melbourne Cup (2m 4f) later this year so he needs to rise a few pounds up the handicap to get in to that race and this could be seen as a stepping stone towards it.
He should be good enough to go close here if he can stay in touch, but this represents a reasonable step up in class, and those factors combined with a best-priced 7/2 on offer make him a favourite that we are against.
Dartmouth rivals the Irish raider at the head of the betting and is expected to take the step up in trip in his stride.
He is ultra-consistent and ran well to pick up the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup over 1m 4f here in May. That was followed by a lacklustre fourth, when sent off favourite for the Hardwicke Stakes this year considering he won the race in 2016.
That represents solid enough form, finishing behind Idaho by 3.25l, who then subsequently finished third to Enable in the King George. Dartmouth will garner the typical support of a Queen’s runner, but he may have stopped improving this season and could be vulnerable to a more progressive type under a penalty.
Less than a length behind Dartmouth at the Royal Meeting was DAL HARRAILD. His trainer admitted that the trip – of 1m 4f – was far too short for him and that the way the race unfolded with him taking up the running was less than ideal as he gave Dartmouth a lovely toe in to the race doing well to stick on for sixth.
The Champs Elysees four-year-old from the Haggas yard looks the most unexposed in this field, he also receives 3lbs from Dartmouth, which could be very significant given the likely further improvement at this trip.
This is Dal Harraild’s first start at two miles, and he looks to have been crying out for it ever since he hosed up over 1m 6f here back in May in a Listed race – the form of which has worked out particularly well.
Dal Harraild looks the more likely to see out the extra trip than Dartmouth considering they are both trying it for the first time, and with the weight allowance, he is taken to reverse the placings and pick up his first pattern-level success.
1pt win Dal Harraild @9/2, 14:25 York, Friday (various bookmakers)
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