Mishriff is the one to watch at the International Stakes at York

Versatile Mishriff in line to add to lucrative year at at the Juddmonte International Stakes at York…the super colt is back at his peak and is well placed to land Wednesday’s big race

• Mishriff won the Saudi Cup run and the Dubai Sheema Classic earlier this year
• Mishriff was given a break after his successes in 2021 but returned last month
• St Mark’s Basilica will not compete at York and has been replaced by Love

There is £1million worth of prize money on offer in Wednesday’s Juddmonte International Stakes at York and galloping multi-millionaire Mishriff looks best placed to grab the majority of it.

The colt trained by John and Thady Gosden has already had a lucrative year, bagging almost £8m for owner Prince Faisal when landing the Saudi Cup run in February and more than £2m when winning the Dubai Sheema Classic in March.

Having also won the French Derby last year, Mishriff has shown himself to be versatile and adaptable running over different distances and on different surfaces.

Mishriff has had a successful year and is among the favourites to win the International Stakes

Mishriff returned from a break last month and is trained by John and Thady Gosden (pictured)

He was given a break after exploits earlier in the year and returned last month with third place in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown but ran better in finishing second to Adayar over a mile and a half in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Like many others, I wanted to see more from him in the Eclipse but it looks safe to say that his third to St Mark’s Basilica wasn’t his true showing with the Gosdens easing him back into top-line competition.

The vibes are he is back at his peak now and also back to his optimum distance of a mile and a quarter.

It is a shame that long-time favourite St Mark’s Basilica has been ruled out of the race but it shows the strength in depth of the stable of Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien that he can call up Love.

St Mark’s Basilica will not compete at York on Wednesday and has been replaced by Love

She looked brilliant last year when one of her three wins came in the Yorkshire Oaks at this meeting. She also won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on her comeback run in June.

But you could argue that she has not beaten a huge amount and that chinks in her armour were exposed on her biggest test yet in the King George when she finished third, almost two lengths behind Mishriff.

While he drops back to his best distance, Love is probably best at a mile and a half and may lack a bit of speed. Things went wrong tactically for William Haggas-trained duo Mohaafeth and Alenquer on their last runs. Both have improving profiles but they need to do that.

Mohaafeth and Alenquer (pictured) endured difficult runs from a tactical standpoint

Mac Swiney, the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner and Derby fourth, is interesting at this trip but his best runs have been on soft ground. Filly Alcohol Free, winner of the Sussex Stakes over one mile at Glorious Goodwood, is arguably the most fascinating runner but I’d be surprised if she is at her best over Wednesday’s longer distance.  

York’s four-day meeting, where no race in worth less than £70,000, will serve up some real treats.

There’s English and Irish Oaks winner Snowfall up against Arc hope Wonderful Tonight in Wednesday’s Yorkshire Oaks while on Friday popular stayer Stradivarius tries to win the Lonsdale Cup for the third time while French sprinter Suesa, an exciting winner at Glorious Goodwood, heads the line-up of sprinters in the Nunthorpe Stakes. 

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