Brigid Cloak handed York opportunity to continue rapid rise in Macmillan Sprint Handicap

Trained by Johnny Murtagh and owned by the Nick Bradley Racing Club, the Havana Grey filly got off the mark on the all-weather at Dundalk in April and has done little but improve since.

A run over six furlongs at the Curragh in May yielded another win, after which she was the runner-up of a premier handicap over a five-furlong trip at the same track earlier this month.

“She’s a gorgeous filly who we’ve really liked since we bought her, Havana Grey is obviously a very good stallion,” said Bradley ahead of the meeting’s highest-prized race.

“When she won for the first time this year she was just winning in turn, but she’s absolutely come on a lot since then.

“Johnny’s putting her improvement down to her behaviour at the course, she’s been great recently and she’s getting better and better.

“She’s gone up 2lb after finishing second last time. It wasn’t an easy decision to run her here, but the money is very good and my owners love having a runner – hopefully a winner – at York.

“It’s a nice race and I do think she’ll win off her mark. Whether that’s on Saturday or not, we’ll find out.”

Also involved is Roger Teal’s Hucklesbrook, a winner last time out at Leicester after starting his campaign off over six furlongs at Ascot.

“I think he needed the race at Ascot but he ran a solid race. He came forward for that at Leicester – he did very well, won nicely,” said Teal.

“Hopefully, if he brings that form to the table, then you’d put him in the mix. I don’t think he’s really ground dependent – he’s pretty versatile. He’s got a nice draw in the middle there, I think, so we’re hoping for a big run from him.”

Of the boosted prize fund offered on the Knavesmire, Teal added: “They are very few and far between, so it’s nice we can have a crack at bringing home a nice pot if we can. But it’s going to be a very competitive race, so it’s not going to be easy.”

Also in the mix is Ollie Sangster’s Tuco Salamanca, who has had a busy and fruitful year already when adding a string of placed efforts on turf to three wins on the all-weather.

Those performances have provided plenty of encouragement to owners Pompey Ventures syndicates, whose founding partner Owen Haly said: “We’re delighted he got in the race as it’s a big pot and a nice flat, straight track should suit him.

“He owes us nothing, but I hope there is more to come from him and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him run well at a nice price.”

Absurde will return to the scene of his most valuable victory to date when he lines up for the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes.

Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old is a true dual-purpose performer who won the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2024 and then the Listed Chester Stakes later the same year.

He started his Flat campaign this season at the latter track when third in the Group Three Ormonde and now turns his attentions to the Knavesmire again, where he landed the Ebor under an inspired Frankie Dettori in 2023.

“He’s an incredible horse, he’s been to Cheltenham, Ascot and Chester,” said Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father. “We’re really looking forward to sending him back to York, he obviously won the Ebor there back in 2023.

“He’s in great form at home, he’s race-fit and we’re expecting a big run from him.”

A field of five has assembled for the race, with Andrew Balding’s Alsakib also bringing course-and-distance form to the table as the winner of the Silver Cup last term.

Charlie Appleby’s El Cordobes and David Simock’s Raja Raja both run, and so too does Karl Burke’s Al Qareem. The six-year-old was the runner-up behind Alsakib in the Silver Cup last year, and has returned to action this season in good form with a win in the Listed Further Flight.