3 minute read

Custom Cut heads an eight-strong field for Saturday's Sky Bet York Stakes.

David O'Meara's charge won five times during a tremendous campaign in 2014 and picked up where he left off with victory in the bet365 Mile at Sandown in April.

He failed to fire in the Lockinge on his next start, but ran creditably behind the high-class Arod in the Diomed Stakes at Epsom last month and now tests the water at a mile and a quarter for the first time.

Custom Cut must concede weight to each of his opponents on the Knavesmire, including Jean-Claude Rouget's intriguing French challenger Prince Gibraltar.

Saeed bin Suroor has his string in excellent nick and his representative Tha'ir can be expected to improve from his recent Sandown success given it was his first start since the Dubai Carnival.

Top Notch Tonto bounced back to form with a course victory in mid-June and returns to York for Brian Ellison.

Sir Michael Stoute's Bragging and the Andrew Balding-trained Tullius both bring Group-race form to the party, while Kevin Ryan's Kelinni ran a blinder to finish a close second in the John Smith's Cup over the course and distance a fortnight ago.

Castlelyons, who won a Cork maiden on his only start in Ireland for John Murphy, is thrown in at the deep end on his debut for Welsh handler Robert Stephens.

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