It’s a cracking day of racing on day one of York’s Ebor Festival, and the best bet on the card for me is King’s Gambit, who goes up against Irish Derby winner Los Angeles in the Great Voltigeur. He looked all over a pattern-class performer when making a winning return in the London Gold Cup at Newbury and he shaped like the best horse at the weights in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.

King’s Gambit was left in a poor position that day following a tardy start and deserves extra credit for finishing as close as he did. He wasn’t suited by having to make his own running in the Sky Bet York Stakes last month, either, setting very steady fractions and essentially out-speeded by a very likeable rival in Alflaila. He now moves up to a trip he shapes as though he’ll relish and, with Euphoric seemingly in the field to make sure the pace is honest for Los Angeles and Illinois, King’s Gambit is fancied to show his true colours this time.

The Juddmonte International looks a cracker and while it’s still possible City of Troy could do something special, I’m far less convinced of that than at the start of the season and I’m happy enough to take him on. While he’s a little way clear on Timeform figures, there’s little between the next few and Israr looks to have been dismissed far more lightly than he should be.

Connections have finally found his niche, a well-run mile and a quarter in blinkers and he was massively impressive in the Wolferton. He’ll face similar conditions here, has little to find with the rest behind City of Troy on the clock and William Buick taking over from Jim Crowley is hardly a negative. 33s each-way looks a sound bet.

Graeme North: Maljoom – 15:35 York

The general 25/1 available about Maljoom looks far too big about a horse who had solid claims to being the best three-year-old miler around in 2022 and shaped as if on his way back to that sort of level in the Sussex Stakes last time out.

Maljoom wasn’t seen out again as a three-year-old after finishing a luckless fourth in the St James’s Palace, flying home with an outrageously fast last furlong after getting badly hemmed in, and has only been seen four times since, but the fact connections have persevered with him suggests they think he still has unfinished business and he showed last time out at Goodwood that he’s no back number, admittedly unable to cope with the 2000 Guineas winner Notable Speech but still beating the top French miler Facteur Cheval and Henry Longfellow.

The blinkers he wore then are retained here, and though there’s stamina to prove he’s long looked worth a try beyond a mile. Five-year-olds have won this race twice since 2020 and it’s worth remembering William Haggas won this two years ago with a horse stepping up to a mile and a quarter for the first time (Baaeed).

Rory King: City of Troy – 15:35 York

This looks potentially the race of the season and City of Troy will undoubtedly need to be better than he was in the Eclipse to prevail. There are definite reasons for thinking that he will be, however. Firstly, the ground was very holding at Sandown and it’s highly unlikely that that suited such a good-moving horse. Secondly, for all he was unimpressive in the Eclipse, the form isn’t working out badly at all, the runner-up Al Riffa has come out and easily landed the Grosser Preis Von Berlin and fourth-placed See The Fire went very close in the Nassau.

Perhaps most significantly of all, this race just looks ideal for City of Troy, it’s highly likely to be run at a solid tempo throughout and that scenario at this trip could very easily bring out the best in him. This is a race that frequently produces big ratings and with such a stacked field it seems quite likely that a top-class performance will be required for victory, and there’s little doubt in my mind that City of Troy is much the most likely of this field to be able to produce it at this trip.

With a lack of front runners in attendance, this staying event has the potential to turn tactical and that should play right into the hands of the well-handicapped Forza Orta who has seemingly found a well-run race at this trip too much of a test on a few occasions this season, notably in the Northumberland Plate when he also ended up away from the principals. Successful in this race last year, he’s fallen to a mark now 2 lb lower than 12 months ago and had been shaping up better than his form figures suggested prior to possibly resenting the fitting of cheekpieces last time.

Forza Orta boasts an excellent record at York and, given the yard tends to target this meeting, it’s possible that a repeat bid in this valuable prize has been the main aim this summer. He should get his optimum conditions with the emphasis on speed at two miles very much in his favour, and the booking of Hollie Doyle is eye-catching.

King’s Gambit added his name to the London Gold Cup Handicap’s illustrious roll of honour with an emphatic four-length success at Newbury in May and he has acquitted himself well on both subsequent outings in Group company.

He shaped like the best horse at the weights when making significant ground in the last couple of furlongs to finish runner-up in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot, and he produced another smart effort when finding only the talented Alflaila too strong in the York Stakes here last month.

He looks likely to stay a mile and a half, remains with untapped potential and the 5 lb he receives from Los Angeles tilts things in his favour – he’s 3 lb clear on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings.

The Timeform Flag

Samui – 16:10 York

Flags: Horse In Focus, Top-Rated

Samui is a dual winner over hurdles and he made it two wins from three starts on the Flat when bolting up at Killarney last month.

Given his hurdling background, Samui was expected to be suited by the step up in trip on his Flat handicap debut at Killarney, and he duly showed much-improved form to rout his rivals.

He’s been hit with a 13 lb rise in the weights for that 17-length success but he still looks to be on a fair mark and is an unexposed stayer to keep on the right side.

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