Ebor repeat being lined up for Tusk

RAYMOND Tusk’s big target for this season will be another crack at the Ebor, hopefully at York.

The Richard Hannon-trained five-year-old was fourth in Europe’s richest handicap last season, having started off his campaign with an excellent second to Dee Ex Bee in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot, where he also ran in the Gold Cup at the Royal meeting.

Owned by Middleham Park Racing, he went on to the Melbourne Cup and won before the end of the year on the all-weather surface at Newcastle, where the Sagaro Stakes will be held this season following the amendments to the fixture list when racing resumes, which is provisionally due to be on June 1.

The Sagaro is scheduled to be run on June 6, but while not ruled out, it is by no means certain Raymond Tusk - who was disappointing when last

Richard Hannon seen at Wolverhampton in January - will be going there.

Middleham Park director Tim Palin said: “I haven’t sat down and worked out what his next run will be, he did have a problem after Wolverhampton. I’m not sure that problem was there and then on the day, I think that was just him having had maybe one race too many.

“But he did have a little foot problem after that and that would have kept him out of (All-weather) Finals Day (at Lingfield). He’s back cantering now, it just depends how much fitness he has lost in that time. It would be a race against time to get him ready for June 6, but it always amazes me how quickly the Hannons can get horses ready.

“The handicapper dropped him 2lb from the back end of the turf season and all roads lead to the Ebor - that is his target. It will probably be one run somewhere, and then the Ebor.