The G1 Nunthorpe Stakes is one of the showcase sprints of the European season and with two Group 2 races supporting that 1000m charge up the straight, Friday’s (23 August) meeting at York has the ingredients of a memorable day’s racing.

Three weeks ago six of the Nunthorpe’s 14 declared speedsters met in Goodwood’s G2 King George Stakes. Big Evs beat Aussie speedster Asfoora by a short-head with Believing and Live In The Dream hot on their heels, and there are arguments in favour of any of that quartet coming out on top in Friday’s hugely prestigious York dash.

Tom Marquand’s mount Big Evs was arguably a shade lucky to fend off Asfoora who now has a 6lb weight swing due to race conditions whilst Believing ran remarkably well considering she missed the break and was outpaced on Goodwood’s downhill track.

Live In The Dream showed distinct signals of a return to his best, a best that had resulted in a blistering display of front-running speed to win last year’s Nunthorpe; his style of racing is ideal for York on a quick surface.

Live In The Dream’s trainer Adam West has opted to put Sean Kirrane – who partnered the gelding to last year’s 28-1 success – back on board and the trainer sounds mildly confident: “We were fourth in a Listed race before we won the Nunthorpe last year whereas at Goodwood, it was a G2 with G1 quality. So you could say that he is coming into this year’s race better, on paper anyway.”

With Ponntos – exceptionally fast from the gates – as well as usual front-runner Regional involved it may be harder for Live In The Dream to boss from the front. Amongst alternatives it is easy to look in the direction of Bradsell, winner of Royal Ascot’s G1 King’s Stand Stakes in 2023 and a terrific third in this last year. Returning from a 329 day break he simply outclassed his rivals in a 1000m Listed event at Deauville early this month.

Trainer Archie Watson says of Bradsell, to be ridden as usual by Hollie Doyle: “It was great to see him back and winning so well at Deauville after such a long layoff. He is bouncing at home and I couldn’t be happier with him.”

The stayers are in action in the G2 Lonsdale Cup (3271m) where the appropriately named Point Lonsdale moves up to a trip that he could shine at. If he wins it would continue the remarkable York journey this week of trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore, following on from Wednesday’s huge achievements with a G3 win (The Lion In Winter), a G2 win (Los Angeles) and a G1 win with the brilliant City Of Troy.

That same elite team have chances at a different age and distance spectrum with Camille Pissarro in the G2 Gimcrack Stakes for two-year-olds over 1200m. But this G3 runner-up at the Curragh last month will need to overcome a deep field and some less exposed but highly regarded rivals including impressive last-time-out winners Big Mojo (Silvestre de Sousa) and Shadow Of Light (William Buick). The latter’s trainer Charlie Appleby has a hot record in this famous York sprint.