York

1.55pm

Universal Order

It wasn’t the greatest shock in the world to see this race cut up to just the five runners, but the quick ground is a positive for my horse. I suppose the jury is still out for him over this trip, as he didn’t run up to his best over course and distance in the Melrose last season and only beat only one home over 1m6f at Meydan in January. But he wasn’t beaten far in Dubai and I think he should stay okay, especially if he behaves himself and relaxes before the race, and you had to be very encouraged by the fact that he defied a penalty to win first time out at Newmarket. He meets some very smart, higher-rated horses in here though, and ones that are not penalised for their Group wins last season either, so he does need to step up. The potential is clearly there though, and you can make a case against the form horses, so my horse has an obvious chance if he stays.

3.40pm

Prejudice

He ran three solid races, all off slightly higher marks than this, last season, with the pick of those arguably his third over 1m2f at Newmarket. And hopefully he will have come on a good deal for his reappearance fifth at Kempton. He, too, has a slight stamina mark against him over this trip on what we have seen so far – though that really shouldn’t be an issue looking at his superb pedigree, being a brother to Postponed among others – and he wouldn’t want the ground to get too quick, but I think he is fairly handicapped.