Purple Moon to provide test for Kite Wood in Yorkshire Cup

The Galileo colt's last visit to this part of the world resulted in a second to stablemate Mastery in the St Leger at Doncaster, which proved he has stamina to match his undoubted class.

He could develop into a Cups contender this term – he may even have the pace to tackle something like the Coronation Cup – and today marks the start of what should be a lucrative campaign.

Purple Moon will ensure his fitness is well and truly tested, though.

Luca Cumani's globetrotter made a rare appearance on home soil when returning from a spell on the sidelines in the John Porter Stakes and as the run should bring him on, he can reverse the form with Newbury runner-up Manifest.

The latter's trainer Henry Cecil took the Musidora with Aviate here on Wednesday and unleashes another smart prospect in the shape of sportingbet.com Fillies Stakes candidate Chachamaidee.

The daughter of Footstepsinthesand made her most recent appearance at this venue when fifth in the Lowther at the Ebor meeting, but she won at the first time of asking last season and holds entries in the Irish 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes.

Once-raced winners Decorative and Muwakaba also have Group One engagements, but the latter carries the second set of Sheikh Hamdan's colours – with the first worn by Tadhg O'Shea on Mark Johnston's recent Goodwood runner-up Hafawa.

The Middleham handler saddles top-weight Drill Sergeant in the sportingbet.com Jorvik Handicap and he has his sights lowered after being outclassed by stable companion Jukebox Jury in the Jockey Club Stakes.

This is an ultra-competitive renewal, however, and he will do well to successfully concede 5lb to Dangerous Midge, who has won his last two starts at Doncaster, the most recent of which created the impression that he may prove better than handicap company before the season is out.

Clive Brittain took the Langleys Solicitors EBF Marygate Fillies' Stakes with subsequent Queen Mary second Misheer 12 months ago and a trip to the Royal meeting could be the prize awaiting this year's representative Breedj.

Well-touted before her Lingfield debut, she offered plenty of promise in third, although she crosses swords with no less than four last-start winners in this afternoon's line-up, including the Kevin Ryan-trained Pontefract scorer Geesala.

Last week's Beverley winner Hoof It spearheads Mick Easterby's two-pronged assault on the Ralph Raper Memorial Handicap, but will do well to deny Eric Alston's Diman Waters.

Successful at Haydock in April, he came very close to supplementing that victory, despite running from out of the weights at Chester's May meeting, and there is obviously still improvement in the locker.

Dandy Nicholls has his predictable strong team of sprinters out for the sportingbet.com Handicap, with the trainer's son Adrian getting the leg-up on Buachaill Dona, who was undone by the draw at Chester.

His stablemate Tajneed went close at Beverley, while the Richard Fahey-trained Leicester victor Sunrise Safari is also worth more than a second glance, but they will all be playing for minor money if Himalya is back to his best.

Good enough to take fourth in the Coventry Stakes as a two-year-old, he showed the talent is still there when signing off 2009 by filling the same place in a Kempton Listed event.

The Cedar Court Grand Hotel & Spa York Stakes brings the curtain down on proceedings and Johnston teams up with Kieren Fallon through Dancing Dude.

The Newcastle winner is asked to concede weight all round, though, and Beat The Rush was particularly impressive when coasting home at Pontefract.