BELMONT Park begins its summer season tonight with the Grade 1 Man O’War Stakes for turf performers and European interest is via Godolphin’s Yibir.

The Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf winner faces five opponents over this slightly shorter distance.

The Eclipse Award-winning champion turf male of 2021 was just beaten by a nose in the $6 million Grouip 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic and then finished second again in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket two weeks ago.

He does take a lot of getting going and that last run was a bit disappointing and there has to be a small concern that a lot of tough races could be leaving a mark as his come-from-behind style never makes it easy. Also there could be a pace concern in this small field.

Appleby’s runners earned $5.8 million last year and he told BloodHorsethis week. “The race at Newmarket was a prep to come to America on the back of it. I know he was a beaten favorite on the day, but our European tracks don’t seem to suit him so much. We were pleased that we got a run into him and he came out of the race well.”

Gufo is the big danger having won the Grade 2 Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream in April. He was well down the field in the Breeders’ Cup but that was not a true reflection of his ability. The Declaration Of War colt won Saratoga’s Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes last August from Japan having been beaten by the narrowest margin in this race last year. He is consistent among the graded turf performers also winning at Grade 1 level at three at Belmont in the 2020 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes.

Abaan runs for Todd Pletcher and he led in midstretch of the Pan American only to finish second by two lengths to Gufo, and he has speed that could make him dangerous in a six-horse field.

Graham Motion runs two, in Easter, third on his US debut in an April 15th allowance race at Aqueduct and Fitri Hay’s Highland Chief, a Gleneagles five-year-old formerly trained by Paul Cole to win at Royal Ascot and who finished ninth in an April 14th allowance race on his first American start at Aqueduct after a lay-off.

Percy Warner Park

Gordon Elliott sends over Burn The Evidence to Nashville for the Margaret Currey Henley Hurdle for fillies’ and mares and the Perth winner should be able to cope with four rivals including Keri Brion’s Irish-bred recent winner Kicking Yourself. (Sky 9.40pm).

Davy Russell teams up with Keri Brion on Iranistan in the Grade 1 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle over three miles, on Sky at 9pm. This is a tough race with the former champion jumper Snap Decision in the line-up again after they had finished one-two in the Temple Gwathmey (Grade 2) at Middleburg in April.

Also on the field is the Nicky Henderson-trained Pistol Whipped, the mount of Nico de Boinville, second to Killer Clown at Kempton on the Sunday after Cheltenham.