Snow Sky

15th-May-2015

I am backing Snow Sky in the Yorkshire Cup at 11/4.

Brown Panther sets a high standard, but he has to concede a 4lb penalty as well as a 1lb weight-for-age allowance and, crucially, he will probably be racing on ground that is faster than ideal for him. He is a favourite that I am happy to be against.

Romsdal is another high-class stayer, and Snow Sky has two lengths to find with him on their running in the St Leger last year, but Snow Sky didn’t have the run of that race, he was hampered when Kingston Hill came across him two furlongs out. He wouldn’t have won, but he would have finished closer to Romsdal than he did.

Also, while Romsdal looked good in winning on his debut this term at Kempton, he was disappointing on his last run in the John Porter. Perhaps that wasn’t a sufficient stamina test for him, but he still has to bounce back out of that, he is a shorter price than Snow Sky and he is unproven at York.

By contrast, Snow Sky is proven at York. Indeed, he probably put up the best performance of his life on his only run on the Knavesmire, when he finished second behind the top-class Postponed in the Great Voltigeur Stakes last year. Time may show that that was a high-class performance, and Sir Michael Stoute’s horse had already proven his class when he won the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood. Indeed, he was classy enough to be thought of as a Derby horse after he won the Lingfield Derby Trial last year.

He has to prove his race fitness, but he ran well on his debut last year, and his trainer won this race last year with Gospel Choir. He has probably had the race in mind for Snow Sky for a while. A mile and six furlongs at York should suit him ideally.

SNOW SKY WON (ADV 11/4, SP 5/2)

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