Newsboy has provided selections for all seven races on the opening day of York's Ebor meeting, headlined by the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap and the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes.
Strensall Stakes selection
Geryon, who found only Enceladus too good at Glorious Goodwood last time, is taken to get back to winning ways in the 13.50 Sky Bet Strensall Stakes. The Ger Lyons-trained son of Lope De Vega has kept decent company since landing a Curragh maiden on his racecourse debut last August, chasing home Constitution River and Hawk Mountain in Group 2 events at the Curragh on his final two starts as a juvenile.
He finished fourth to subsequent Royal Ascot winners Thesecretadversary and Causeway at Leopardstown and the Curragh on his first two outings of 2026 before a neck defeat at the hands of Isaac Newton in Navan's Listed Hill Of Tara Stakes. Following a fourth in the Group 3 International Stakes on the Irish Derby undercard at the Curragh at the end of June, Geryon doubled his career tally with a three-and-a-quarter-length beating of Cowardofthecounty in the Meld Stakes over a mile and a furlong 18 days later.
Last time, he did best of those pursuing Enceladus with a length-and-a-quarter second in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes and was denied a clear run two furlongs out. Coming back from 12 furlongs is not an issue and a third career win is on the cards. Archivist, Hankelow and Persica can fight it out for the podium places. Newsboy's 1-2-3: 1 Geryon, 2 Archivist, 3 Hankelow.
Melrose Handicap pick
Into The Light is following an upward curve and a first attempt at a mile and three-quarters should trigger another personal best in the 2.25 Sky Bet Melrose Handicap. The son of Dubawi began to make up for lost time with a debut score at Lingfield Park on St Valentine's Day.
Following silver medals in a Southwell novice stakes and a handicap at Sandown Park on his next two outings, Into The Light was readied for Royal Ascot by trainer Charlie Appleby. A well-backed 4-1 shot for the King George V Handicap, the selection raced at the back under William Buick and couldn't get involved from off a slow pace, coming home in 11th behind Enceladus.
But Into The Light was a different proposition at Glorious Goodwood, wearing the cheekpieces that are persevered with today, the three-year-old galloped to a length-and-three-quarter beating of Devil's Peak. There is an 8lb rise to deal with but the step up from 12 furlongs should help a colt with plenty more to offer. In an open Melrose, Mythical Bay, Limestone and My Ballyquinn all have something to recommend them. Newsboy's 1-2-3: 1 Into The Light, 2 Mythical Bay, 3 My Ballyquinn.
City Of York Stakes tip
Notable Speech is expected to live up to his status as the best horse in the race on British Horseracing Authority figures in the 3.00 Sky Bet City Of York Stakes. Dubawi's son will return to Charlie Appleby's Moulton Paddock stable in Newmarket empty-handed if he repeats the form of his sixth behind 50-1 winner Ten Bob Tony in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on his most recent outing.
But the royal racecourse doesn't show Notable Speech at his best - the five-year-old entire has been beaten on all three visits there - and he's better judged on his Lockinge Stakes success at Newbury a month earlier. William Buick's partner was brilliant that day, travelling with menace before quickening to the front a furlong out to beat More Thunder by two lengths. Notable Speech landed the 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes as a three-year-old and ventured to North America to capture the Woodbine Mile and Breeders' Cup Mile in 2025.
Notable Speech steps back to seven furlongs but wasn't beaten far when fifth in last year's July Cup over six, and an unlucky defeat in Deauville's Prix Jacques le Marois on his next start suggests today's playing surface will not present a problem. The lightly raced Paborus has untapped potential and is feared most, ahead of Rogue Diplomat and Flora Of Bermuda. Newsboy's 1-2-3: 1 Notable Speech, 2 Paborus, 3 Flora Of Bermuda.
Ebor Handicap selection
Klassleader looked the ideal type for the Ebor when scoring at York in May, and little has changed since then in the 3.35 Sky Bet Ebor Handicap. Backers of the William Haggas-saddled four-year-old have to overlook a defeat at Newmarket's July Festival, when Klassleader was sent off the 6-5 market leader to beat 11 rivals for a mile-and-a-half handicap, but beat just five of them home as victory went to Sportingsilvermine.
A more accurate guide of the four-year-old's capabilities came back at the Dante fixture. Klassleader, who went off the well-backed 15-8 favourite for a similar event over the same trip, found himself at the back of the 10-runner field after jumping a path after a couple of furlongs as Sing Us A Song cut out the earlier running. Tom Marquand ushered his mount forward entering the final four furlongs and, while Klassleader took his time to master the leader, he was well on top of the finish.
The performance, which probably needs upgrading given the way the race unfolded, triggered an 8lb rise to a revised British Horseracing Authority rating of 98 - the figure that he competes from today. Klassleader had previously run a three-quarter-length second to Sing Us A Song when attempting a mile and six furlongs for the first time at Haydock Park last September, and the additional yardage is expected to work in his favour here. Irish pair Emit and Love Me Tender - the latter is having his first race for Willie Mullins - command respect, as do home runners Beylerbeyi and Paddy The Squire. Newsboy's 1-2-3: 1 Klassleader, 2 Emit, 3 Beylerbeyi.
Constantine Handicap pick
Evening Saigon landed a big pot for the Stewards' Cup at Glorious Goodwood and looks a long way from the bottom of the barrel in the 4.10 Sky Bet Constantine Handicap. Having made a successful racecourse debut at Tipperary in May 2024, the son of Harry Angel moved from Michael O'Callaghan to Wathnan Racing trainer Hamad Al Jehani.
Evening Saigon won a six-furlong handicap at Chelmsford City from four visits to the track last season, but has taken his form to a new level this year. On the back of a one-length beating of Albasheer at Newcastle in April, the selection went under by a neck to the re-opposing Far Above Dream at Goodwood at the beginning of the following month. There was definite merit in his seventh behind Double Rush in the Wokingham Handicap and James Doyle's mount was back in business on the final day of Glorious Goodwood.
Again fitted with the cheekpieces he had worn at Royal Ascot, Evening Saigon hit the front towards the far side a furlong from home and ran on willingly to hold Stratusnine by a neck, with a horse of this afternoon's rivals in arrears. A relatively unexposed sprinter with nine runs under his belt, Evening Saigon still has the untapped potential to deal with a 4lb rise in the weights. Dance In The Storm, Air Force One, Sondad and Annaf sit at the top of a lengthy shortlist. Newsboy's 1-2-3: 1 Evening Saigon, 2 Sondad, 3 Dance In The Storm.
Roses Stakes tip
Adonius is set to lead from flagfall - and should take some catching in the 4.45 Julia Graves Roses Stakes. The son of Soldier's Call was certainly one of the early stars of the two-year-old sprint scene for trainer Rebecca Menzies and jockey Kaiya Fraser.
Gelded before making his racecourse debut at Musselburgh at the beginning of April, Adonius got his career off to the perfect start with a seven-length win. He was less impressive when following up by a neck in East Lothian eight days later, but the Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes that opens Chester's May fixture still looked the obvious place to go. It proved exactly that, as Adonius and Fraser set out in front en route to a length-and-a-quarter beating of Hickory Lad.
He lost his unbeaten record with a two-length second to Pershaada in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Glorious Goodwood but Adonius comes down in class at a track that will suit his front-foot way of doing things. Dance A Jig, Dubai Champion and Roots In Touche are taken to duke it out for the minor medals. Newsboy's 1-2-3: 1 Adonius, 2 Dance A Jig, 3 Roots In Touche.
Dav Reid Finale selection
Diego El Queso found one door shutting after another on his return to Britain last month - but compensation is at hand in the 5.20 Sky Bet Dav Reid Finale Handicap. Ger Lyons' son of Blue Point had been out of luck on a visit to Chelmsford City last November and fared little better in the 10-furlong handicap that got Glorious Goodwood underway 25 days ago.
Colin Keane had no option but to ride for the breaks after Diego El Queso, a 6-1 chance, reared in the stalls and raced at the back of the 17-runner field - and they didn't come. The selection's path was blocked at a crucial time two furlongs out and, although he ran on once in the clear to take sixth behind Al Aali, the damage was done.
His British Horseracing Authority rating of 100 looks within range and Diego El Queso, who boasted strong form at home before crossing the Irish Sea, deserves the chance to put things right. The meeting's 'getting-out' stakes isn't straightforward, but Raammee, Erzindjan, Dark Moon Rising and Thunder Run are all capable of having a say. Newsboy's 1-2-3: 1 Diego El Queso, 2 Erzindjan, 3 Dark Moon Rising.
