York’s opening day feature race has lost a bit of its allure with the defection of the top thee-year-old St Mark’s Basilica but is still an intriguing race, well up to its usual standard among the Group 1 races of the year.

Five colts, two top class fillies, three older horses against four three-year-olds.

This course and distance looks tailor-made for Mishriff. While in recent years, the Prix de Jockey Club winner has been well received for a stud career, there’s no doubt a Group 1 win in one of the top middle distances races In Britain would enhance the son of Make Believe’s appeal at stud. Those he beat in his French wins last season haven’t exactly set the world on fire since.

His two foreign wins this season have a lot more merit. Beating the speedy American Charlatan in Saudi (Knicks Go fourth) and the top Japanese horse Chrono Genesis and Loves Only You in the Dubai World Cup, over a trip that may have stretched him.

He could be forgiven this two British defeats this season, probably needing the run against a high class fit three-year-old in the Eclipse and just finding the mile and a half beyond his best as Adayar ruled in the King George. Those two winning colts are at the head of the 2021 World Rankings.

To prove

Love is challenging him in the market but her three Group 1s, albeit impressive performances, came against her own sex last year. She still has a little to prove to move into the Found, Minding, Magical category of great Galileo mares.

It was a filly, the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare winner Audarya who gave her most to do also in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot but that race now looks a bit below the standard required to beat an on-song Mishriff. (Armory beaten a length and a half).

Her King George run leaves her with a bit to find against Mishriff.

It looks like she will be asked to dictate matters as surprisingly, Ballydoyle have no pacemaker in to make the first few furlong a test.

Next in the market, Alcohol Free has done a lot in her short career with two Group 1s this year and one against older males. Yet the feeling must be that she is up against it here. She is not the most straight-forward, and will need to settle and as daughter of No Nay Never, it’s just hard to see her in a battle to the end at this distance. Her dam sire Hard Spun was a tough performer on dirt but he was by Danzig and it just looks a mile pedigree.

She has also been very busy taking in Royal Ascot, the Newmarket July meeting and the Sussex. It should be remembered that Jeff Smith’s outstanding colt back in the 80s Chief Singer also did those three summer festivals but found York’s mile and two furlongs too much.

Mac Swiney went off 8/1 joint third favourite for the Derby but was a well beaten fourth and was only sixth at the Curragh.

His two Derby disappointments seem to have wiped out the memory of his Irish 2000 Guineas win over Poetic Flare, arguably one of the best bits of form this season, although it was on soft/heavy going and his Doncaster win last year was also on heavy.

But the ground at York is good so that should not inconvenience him too much and he’s had a good break since the Curragh.

The 16/1 is a bit of an insult considering he is a Group 1-winning two-year-old and subsequent classic winner at three.

William Haggas runs Alenquer and Mohaafeth. Both won at Royal Ascot but have been beaten since.

Mohaafeth was disappointing in the York Stakes, a race which his trainer called ‘a mess’, where the field quickened off a slow pace and he had too much to do.

Of the two, I was more impressed by Alenquer’s win in the King Edward, although he did seem to stay a mile and a half well there and his pedigree is one of stamina. He also did not enjoy the run of the race against the impressive Hurricane Lane in the Grand Prix du Paris.

Haggas said: ”you can put a line through his latest run at Longchamp as he was too far back and never got into it at all. I don't think he's the soft- or heavy-ground horse some have him down as, but he might just want a bit further.”

I have a definite rule in these latter season middle distance races and that is to stick with the proven Group 1 horses. Group 1 horses in Group 1 races. If they run to form, I can see no reason why the two Haggas runners would make the first two.

That leaves it between Mishriff and the two Irish runners.

If Love goes on, it will suit Mishriff and David Egan can track her and use his colt’s turn of foot over this distance to gain a second Group 1 in four days for the Gosdens.

Mac Swiney may be best fresh and can overhaul Love for second.

SELECTION: Mishriff Next Best: Mac Swiney (ew 16/1)