MAKING IT COUNT AT YORK

Count Octave can announce his arrival in the staying division with victory in the MansionBet Yorkshire Cup at York tomorrow.

Andrew Balding’s fouryear-old is certainly not an unknown having finished second in Queen’s Vase last year before claiming a creditable sixth as an outsider in the St Leger, but he does come into this race slightly under the radar.

All attention will be focused on last year’s Goodwood Cup hero Stradivarius, however, it should not be forgotten that Count Octave was only a neck adrift when that pair met at Royal Ascot 2017.

Add in the fact that he was given a bit too much to do at Doncaster on his Classic outing and Count Octave seems to have a few shreds of Group One form.

Given a nice confidence boo sting win on the all weather to kick off 2018, Count Octave was tapped for toe behind Defoe over 12 furlongs at Newmarket recently, but there was no disgrace in that. A proper race should have knocked off any remaining cobwebs.

Count Octave has a bit to find on the pure numbers with a couple of rivals here, but he should be game for the challenge.

At the other end of the scale, Snazzy can show her rivals a clean pair of heels in the five-furlong Langleys Solicitors British EBF Marygate Fillies’ Stakes.

She ran out a cosy winner on her debut on the Newcastle all-weather back in March despite some evident greenness and can add an early Listed success to her CV.

Dance Diva ran well in the Fred Darling on her return to action and she can step up on that third in the Longines Irish Champions Weekend Fillies’ Stakes.

She raced away that day and can be rated a little better than the official distances suggest.

Herculean is the one to be on at Newmarket as he returns to action in the Pegasus Profiles Flying Horse Novice Stakes.

Moonrise Landing is another to note as she lines up in the edmondson Hall Solicitors & Sports Lawyers Handicap.