York - 16th May

Really good day's racing today but it looks very hard from a punting point of view.

The Dante looks next to impossible with so many plausible contenders. It's tough to rule any out with confidence but Indian Chief and Trading Leather look too short on what they have achieved but are understandably being well backed given their connections. That pretty much leaves us with the Windhoek/Greatwood/Ghurair line of form and the Godolphin animal Secret Number whose fast finishing third in the UAE Derby impressed me at the time. Of the threesome from Newmarket in April I favour Ghurair partly because he has the best form figures (beating Havana Gold as a 2yo) and partly because he is the biggest priced of the three. Neither he nor Secret Number are proper bets however, just the opening legs of doubles I've placed with a horse later in the card.

That horse is Hunt Cup winner Prince of Johanne in the Hambleton at 3.15. He is now off the same mark he scored on at Royal Ascot and I do think there is a big handicap in him again. It could be today, it could be in defence of his crown next month. Wherever it is he will be a good price, especially on the machine (was 22 before the off in the Hunt Cup and returned 16/1)

Ghurair (Dante) (lost) and Prince of Johanne (Hambleton Handicap) £10 double at Betfair SP
Secret Number (Dante) (lost) and Prince of Johanne £10 double @ Betfair SP

(-71)