16th-May-2014

The drying ground is going to be against many of the main contenders in the Yorkshire Cup, including the favourite Tac De Boistron, who is an old friend, who has done us a few good turns in the past, but who is a far better horse on soft ground than he is on good ground.

Cubanita did well to win on goodish ground on her debut this term, but she is another who is at her best on soft ground.

That gives us a good angle into the race …

Progressive as a three-year-old, we only saw Gospel Choir three times last year. He won the second of those runs at Goodwood, and he looks a typical Sir Michael Stoute-trained late developer now.

He reappeared this term in the Earl Of Sefton Stakes over nine furlongs, a trip which should have been a fair bit too short. His previous six runs had all been over a mile and a half, and he hadn’t run over shorter than a mile and a quarter since he had been beaten on his racecourse debut as a two-year-old. He shaped promisingly that day, however, to finish a close fourth behind course specialist Mull Of Killough.

The son of Galileo confirmed that he was an improved horse this year on his next start when he ran out an authoritative winner of the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket on 2000 Guineas day. Admittedly they didn’t go a great gallop and the favourite Trading Leather pulled too hard, but Gospel Choir wasn’t right up on the pace, and the manner in which he surged to the front two furlongs out and kept up the gallop right to the line was really impressive.

It is difficult to say for sure that he is going to get the trip today, but he has never looked like a horse for whom a mile and a half was the upper limit of his stamina, and certainly at Newmarket last time he gave the impression that he would be even better suited by a stronger gallop and perhaps a longer trip. Also, two of his three half-brothers, both by lesser influences for stamina than Galileo, have won over hurdles, so there is plenty of stamina in the family. He could go very close today.

GOSPEL CHOIR WON (ADV 9/2, SP 7/2)