Count on Octave to stun rivals

COUNT OCTAVE can announce his arrival in the staying division with victory in the Mansion Bet Yorkshire Cup at York, writes The Ferret.

Andrew Balding’s four-yearold is certainly not an unknown having finished second in the 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, but it should not be forgotten that Count Octave was only a neck adrift when that pair met at Royal Ascot 2017.

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

Given a nice confidence-boosting 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 and a proper race should have knocked off any remaining cobwebs.

SELECTIONS

HAMILTON: 5.55 Mr Buttons, 6.25 Corked, 7.00 Vive La Difference, 7.30 Starplex, 8.05 Kyllachy Dragon, 8.35 Nuns Walk, 9.05 Imperial Legend.

YORK: 2.20 Snazzy, 2.55 Dance Diva, 3.30 COUNT OCTAVE (NAP), 4.05 Banditry, 4.35 Pepita, 5.05 Fool For You, 5.40 Victory Chime.

DOUBLE: Count Octave and Snazzy.