The pick of the prices on Day 1 at York....

Tuesday, 18th August 2026

The pick of the prices on Day 1 at York….

In ATC today….

I’m on SPARTAN ARROW in the 1.50 – up at 33s & 28s….

…. and I’m on MANXMAN at 22s, 20s & 18s in the 4.10….

That’s the summary….

…. you’ll find all my reasoning below – as per usual….

Oh…. and if you’re looking for the standout place terms on offer – you’ll find them in the Bet Box below….

Read on….

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…. the HKJC World Pool – York – 1.50....

It’s a take-your pick job with this – 22 going to post and decent cases to be made for plenty of them….

…. and – that being so – I’m inclined to swing the bat and have a crack at the general 33s & 28s about SPARTAN ARROW….

This time last year he was rated 106 after a couple of strong performances at Epsom and a Listed win at Chantilly….

…. and after that he was out of his depth at Group level….

He did win a G3 at Dundalk at the back end of last term….

…. but he couldn’t rediscover that form in the first part of this year – not in the UAE or in this country….

Perhaps something was amiss – following a down-the-field placing at Goodwood we didn’t see him again until the Shergar Cup at Ascot earlier this month….

…. where he showed up well into the final furlong under Ryan Moore but was unable to sustain his run….

He was entitled to need it after 99 days off and – whilst I’m mindful he was beaten almost 5-lengths on the day – proper fast ground and a stiff finish wouldn’t be his ideal conditions….

What interests me most about him for tomorrow – apart from a mark that’s dropped to 94 – is the ground….

…. 9.6mm of rain in the last 48-hours has taken the sting out of the surface and the going description has changed to good – and that’s right up Spartan Arrow’s street….

He’s zero from four goes at the track – but the one time he got to run there on good ground in May 2024 he hit the frame in a big-field handicap off 92….

There’s lots of ifs, buts and maybes at work with this selection – no doubt….

…. but he’s well-handicapped, he’s got that return run under his belt, and the ground’s gone the right way for him….

In a wide-open race he’s interesting at a fancy price….

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…. the Sky Bet Stayers – York – 4.10....

With the ground not as quick as it was MANXMAN is perfectly capable of running a big race off a mark of 93….

…. and the 22s, 20s & 18s about him are decent prices….

He was touched off by a nose in the 2024 edition of the Cesarewitch at Newmarket off 86….

…. after which he won off 91 at Goodwood in May last year….

…. and I reckon he’s still got plenty of margin for the Crisford team to work with going forward….

He returns off a 356-day break tomorrow….

…. no doubt some big handicap targets lie ahead….

…. and I accept that this engagement might be widely deciphered as part of his prep rather than a final target….

But I’m also mindful that he ran well on his return in 2024 and again in 2025….

…. that the Crisford team – they have a very good record at York – is very much in form right now….

…. and that a couple of their horses have shown up well in good races off long breaks in the last fortnight….

I like the mark and I think he’s got every chance of outrunning market expectation – and in a competitive handicap that makes him a bet….

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Now, just to recap….

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That’s all for today….

I’ll be back with more tomorrow….

Meantime – contact me at – nick.pullen@spapublishinggroup.co.uk

And remember – win, lose or draw – enjoy the racing….

Stay tuned….

Against the Crowd