York Racecourse - May Spring Meeting

Just eight days after the conclusion of this year's thrilling Dante Festival, racing resumes tomorrow on the Knavesmire with a seven-race card offering over £150,000 in prize money and plenty of clues for the summer ahead.

Every meeting at York includes a black type contest and on this occasion it is the Stowe Family Law LLP Grand Cup, a Listed event staged over a mile and six furlongs. Six horses have been declared to run for the £40,00 prize including Bite Of The Cherry from trainer Michael Bell's stables in Newmarket.

 The four-year-old filly put up a solid reappearance when fourth in a Listed race at Goodwood a month ago and Bell is confident that she can get in the mix.

He said: “Bite Of The Cherry is in good form. She has been knocking on the door in Listed company and I think she is up to getting in the shake up.

“We are desperate to get some ‘black type’ with her and the track and trip at York should suit her.”

Recent Chester Cup winner Address Unknown goes for York’s leading trainer, Richard Fahey, and the Malton based operation is in prime form with stayers at the track following the success of Glen’s Diamond in last week’s Qipco Yorkshire Cup.  The yards of prominent National Hunt handlers of Nigel Twiston-Davies and Donald McCain are represented by Mad Mouse and Ill de Re respectively.

The most valuable race of the day, the £50,000 32Red.com Sprint has attracted a full field of 20; with eight contenders holding entries for various sprints at Royal Ascot, it should prove an informative minute of action for form followers.

The likely favourite is the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Duke of Firenze, a winner at Goodwood on his last start. It should be a fascinating contest with this lightly-raced type taking on a field of hardened handicappers with a tilt at the Wokingham in the balance.

The card gets underway with the 32Red Casino Stakes at 1.50, a competitive conditions affair that sees the return after 399 days of Spiritual Star whose last two races were the Group 3 Greenham Stakes and the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes.

Towards the end of the afternoon, Kyllachy Rise is set to be partnered by the in form Ryan Moore in the Ice Co EBF Maiden, connections will be hoping that the rider who already has six winners on the Knavesmire this season can deliver a victory for a colt that disappointed in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas yet still holds an entry for the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes on the opening day of Royal Ascot..

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