City of York: Price tag wrong - but it's him yet again

You might not want to follow us in on this recommendation. Particularly if you have memories of burnt fingers on this horse.

• We recommended a wager on this horse at 10/1 to win the the QE II Diamond Jubliee at Ascot (win only) back in 2025. He was backed down to 2/1 favourite...but came second.

  
  

• We recommended a wager on this horse at 5/1 to win this year's July Cup at Newmarket (win only). He was backed down to 2/1 favourite again...but came third.

And here we are wagering on this horse yet again for a race next week, as Satono Reve really shouldn't be anywhere near 10/1 for the Group 1 City of York Stakes on Saturday 22 August.

Why not?

• As is only logical from his impressive CV, he's among the top-rated horses in this field; joint-top on Racing Post Ratings indeed.

  
  

• He always turns up and runs his race on fast summer ground, which he'll surely get: his European figures (all Group 1s) are now 2-2-3; all deep, strong fields.

  
  

• The field will cut up: Thesecretadversary looks like he's going to opt for Sunday's Jacques Le Marois, Never So Brave has been declared for the Hungerford Stakes this Saturday, Ed Walker has been making negative noises about Ten Bob Tony lining up, while Division ran only last Sunday and looks likely to wait for the Haydock Sprint Cup. A whole clutch of other entrants are doubtful too.
  

• We don't mind the step up to seven furlongs at all. Satono Reve looked like he was staying on again at the end of the July Cup (a race in which he bizarrely made the running, not his M.O.), and he clearly thrives for the ultra-stiff six furlongs of Royal Ascot. York's pancake flat seven could work for him well.

One final word of caution: We do not have definitive, final, confirmation from connections that he will line in for this race. He is also entered in the Nunthorpe Stakes (over 5 furlongs the day before). But in an interview with ATR, the highly-regarded Japanese racing journalist Naohiro Goda stated his clear belief that Satono Reve is being trained for this race rather than the shorter Nunthorpe Stakes (ATR interview: "his trainer is confident that the extra furlong is no problem"), while Japanese social media (including the X account of his breeder) points to the same target.

In our view, pre-empting his definitive participation is a risk worth taking as the double-figure price factors this doubt in, and we believe that doubt is now miniscule.

We'll take the each-way approach this time, as the odds of 2/1 for that outcome look very fair too.

Recommendation: Back Satono Reve each-way at 10/1 generally (every bookmaker except for B365, Hills and Quinnbet) to win the City of York Stakes at Deauville on Saturday 22 August..