North to Lord it over York rivals

Gosden hope looks value bet in Juddmonte

LORD NORTH could be the value call in a mouthwatering renewal of the Juddmonte International at York.

While the grandstands will not be packed to the rafters as is usually the case for the Ebor Festival, the action on the track appears no less competitive, with the day-one feature in particular an absolute cracker.

Charlie Appleby’s Ghaiyyath is the hot favourite – and rightly so, with his successive top-level victories in the Coronation Cup at Newmarket and the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

However, Coronation Cup runner-up Anthony Van Dyck did little for the form at Royal Ascot, and while the third home Stradivarius has since cemented his status as a legendary stayer, a mile and a half at Newmarket was never going to be his bag.

Ghaiyyath’s defeat of the wondermare Enable looks superb on paper. But by John Gosden’s admission, the latter was nowhere near her peak that day.

Gosden’s Lord North has progressed from a high-class handicapper to a top-drawer performer in less than 12 months, with connections crediting his improvement to a gelding operation.

The son of Dubawi stepped up big time from his narrow defeat of Elarqam on his seasonal reappearance at Haydock with a demolition job in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

This race has been Lord North’s primary objective since, and he arrives nicely freshened by a two-month break.

SELECTIONS BATH: 3.25 Teddy B, 3.55 City Walk, 4.30 Moonraker, 5.00 Delagate The Lady, 5.30 Hedging, 6.00 Wrath Of Hector, 6.30 Mark Of Gold, 7.00 My Brother Mike, 7.30 Clog Na Fola, 8.00 Menin Gate.

STRATFORD: 1.35 Courtandbould, 2.05 Going Mobile, 2.35 Roar, 3.05 Ashutor, 3.35 Coillte Eile, 4.10 Road To Reward, 4.45 Say Nothing, 5.20 Dancing In The Sky, 5.50 Bravo Buddy.

YORK: 1.45 Tarboosh, 2.15 Cloudbridge, 2.45 Darain, 3.15 LORD NORTH (NAP), 3.45 Volcanic Sky, 4.20 Keep Busy, 4.50 Toussarok.

SELECTIONS: Darain and Lord North.