Withhold to hit jackpot

WITHHOLD can show he is a stayer of the highest quality by scooping the pool in the first £1million Sky Bet Ebor at York.

Roger Charlton’s charge has already two big handicap prizes under his belt - the 2017 Cesarewitch and last year’s Northumberland Plate - and displayed his well-being with a convincing all-the-way win at Newbury recently.

That is his first run since a trip to Australia, where a blood vessel problem ruled him out of the Melbourne Cup.

With that issue firmly behind him and a successful wind surgery to boot, Withhold is clearly as good as ever - if not better.

He will probably have to be because of the strength of the opposition, but his prominent style of running should be suited to the track and he promises to be hard to beat.

Six-time Group One scorer Laurens can make her class tell in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes.

Karl Burke’s stable star may be stepping down to seven furlongs for the first time since her two-year-old days, but that should not inconvenience her as she has plenty of pace.

She made a lot of the running when taking the Prix Rothschild at Deauville last time out.

Zaaki can get back to winning ways in the Sky Bet And Symphony Group Strensall Stakes following a disappointing run at Goodwood.

Sir Michael Stoute’s four-year-old had been on an upward curve thanks to victories at Listed and Group Three level, before just going down to the ill-fated Beat The Bank in the Summer Mile at Ascot.

Whatever the reason for his belowpar effort in the Lennox Stakes, Zaaki can show his true colours in this Group Three heat.

Stoute can also strike with Almania in the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap.