Rewinding for a moment to the International Stakes, Andrew Balding revealed afterwards that Item’s participation on the big race was in doubt beforehand due to “a little hiccup with his feet".

“He’s kept improving and improved physically,” Balding said. “He’s really a very different horse than the one that ran in the Dante, physically.

“Everything had gone great up until about declaration time [on Monday] and we had a little hiccup there with his feet. Thankfully everyone who looks after him have worked overtime to get it right, and happily it was a 5am decision that he got on the box to come up here.”

Off and running in the 4.10 at York …

Kilmeaden leads early, Shrimp Shady and Boatswan are close behind …

Past the post for the first time, and Kilmeaden has raced into a big lead, Prydwen in pursuit, Ride The Thunder and Shrimp Shady there with Small Fry

Into the straight and Kilmeaden is coming back, Small Fry making good ground, he’s coming through to grab the lead and go clear, here’s Mountain Road with a late run but he won’t get there, the favourite Small Fry has won it …

There’s been a huge late plunge on Simon & Ed Crisford’s Boatswain here before the stayers’ handicap, he’s down to 5-1.

They are going to post for the next race here, a stayers’ handicap in which Small Fry (Joseph O’Brien) and Kirchner (James Owen) are vying for favouritism. I went for Kirchner when I was doing the tipping yesterday, but given that the ground has been softening, I can’t help wondering whether In The Breeze has an each-way squeak for Henrietta Knight at around 33-1 after a convincing win on soft ground at Goodwood last time.

Ed Walker is reflecting on his near-miss with Almaqam.

It’s a tough one [but] when you get these conditions, he’s a seriously good horse and I’m glad he’s shown it today.

John Gosden seems inclined to blame the going for Ombudsman’s defeat after the steady rain earlier in the day.

He’s absolutely fine afterwards, he just didn’t like the gorund. It’s gone very much on the soft side and that’s not his scene. I’m afraid it was just too soft and it played to others, not to him.

That was a puzzling race in several respects, not least as Constitution River ended up chasing the pace in second after his intended pacemaker missed the kick. Ombudsman raced a long way off the pace, came with a run against the rail but then faded just as rapidly.

Item’s narrow win can be marked up, though, as he did not get a trouble-free passage and showed both grit and a champion’s turn of foot to run down Almaqam in the final furlong.

Item needed to switch to get a run but Colin Keane still had just enough Yorkshire turf to work with and managed to get up in the final strides. Almaqam looked all over the winner a furlong out.

Ombudsman and Constitution River were both disappointing in the end. Was it the ground, or the way the race unfolded, or just a win for a richly talented and improving rival?

There was a definite mix-up in the pace-setting duties there, leaving Constitution River second, Ombudsman is last early

Almaqam sits fourth, Ombudsman off the pace

Into the straight, Ombudsman has ground to make up, Almaqam making ground and hits the front

Shock result incoming, Almaqam goes clear … but here comes Item, finishing fast from off the pace, it’s between the pair and it’s Item!

Hawk Mountain leads early, Constitution River is second

Off and running in the International Stakes!

It looks like Pride Of Arras is out of the race after an incident at the stalls

They are starting to go into the stalls, won’t be long now …

Latest betting:

5-6 Ombudsman
13-8 Constitution River
10-1 Item
16-1 Almaqam
25-1 Hawk Mountain
40-1 bar

Time to get the money down: I’m with Constitution River to maintain his race-to-race improvement and register a potentially career-defining success.

SELECTION: CONSTITUTION RIVER.

3.35 YORK, INTERNATIONAL STAKES, GROUP ONE, 1M 2F 56YD

The big race of the day, and perhaps, who knows, the season now looms large.

Ombudsman was a little weak in the betting earlier on but he’s a solid even-money shot now, while Constitution River is available at 13-8. Item is drifting, out to 10-1, and it is 16-1 bar the three.

The 16-1 shot, by the way, is Almaqam, who was actually the first horse ever to beat Ombudsman, in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May last year.

Almaqam has a definite liking for easier ground but Ombudsman has improved significantly since that race 15 months ago. Ed Walker, his trainer, is in the parade ring.

We believe we can win. On ratings it’s a no, but it’s not always all about ratings.

William Haggas was non-committal about the Arc for Maltese Cross when tackled in the winner’s enclosure just now, but the colt’s owner, Lambeth-born film producer George Waud of Snakes On A Plane fame, seemed to be looking ahead to a (return) trip to Paris already.

An impressive success for Maltese Cross, who was giving 5lb to the runner-up, and if he goes for the Leger, he’ll take plenty of beating.

He’s already a Group One winner over the Arc track and trip, however, and Longchamp on the first weekend in October may be a bigger consideration.

Paddy Power go 5-4 from 3-1 for the Leger but few will be taking that kind of price until his target is confirmed.

Off and running in the Great Voltigeur Stakes …

A steady early pace after Antigua missed the kick but now he takes it up …

Galiyan and Christmas Day dispute second, Maltese Cross and Pierre Bonnard close behind …

They’re into the final mile, Antigua still clear, Christmas Day in second but the chasing pack closely bunched ..

Into the straight, the pacemaker drops away, Christmas Day takes over but Maltese Cross is going really well

Four in a line two out, but Maltese Cross is going best, Pierre Bonnard next with Christmas Day beaten, Maltese Cross takes over and stays on for a convincing success!

Both Christmas Day and Maltese Cross shoulder 5lb penalties today as a result of their Group One wins, which should bring Pierre Bonnard into the picture given that he was only a neck behind Christmas Day in Ireland, but the money at the moment is all for Christmas Day.

Latest betting:

6-4 Christmas Day
5-2 Maltese Cross
100-30 Pierre Bonnard
12-1 bar

3.00 YORK, GREAT VOLTIGEUR STAKES, GROUP TWO, 3YO, 1M 3F 188YD

A fascinating renewal of the Ebor meeting’s St Leger trial, which includes both the first and second horses home in the Derby in June: Christmas Day and Maltese Cross.

Christmas Day appreciated the rain-softened ground back in June and was only second behind his stable-companion, Benvenuto Cellini, in the Irish Derby on good-to-firm next time out, in a race where another of today’s rivals, Pierre Bonnard, was third.

Maltese Cross, meanwhile, landed a Group One of his own next time out after Epsom in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp in July.

Christmas Day is favourite to uphold the Epsom form but I thought that Maltese Cross ran an outstanding race is difficult circumstances there and I’m inclined to side with William Haggas’s colt to turn the tables today.

SELECTION: Maltese Cross.

All eyes are on the winner’s enclosure now where the weighing room has assembled for a presentation to the recently-retired Joe Fanning, who rode nearly 3,000 Flat winners in Britain including Subjectivist in the Ascot Gold Cup in 2021. His career stretched to nearly 40 years in the saddle and he was particularly well-known as a brilliant judge of pace aboard front-runners.

Fanning announced his retirement last month but had not ridden since last November following successful surgery for prostate cancer.

Haffner was one of the first to come under pressure there but when he finally hit his stride, he powered into a decisive lead and came home notably strongly.

He has just landed a “Win And You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Aidan O’Brien was in little doubt aftewards that Keeneland will be Haffner’s main target at the end of the season.

He’s a typical Justify, he stays very well. It would be made for him, absolutely

Off and running in the Acomb Stakes …

Haffner settles in fourth, Vega King takes them along,

Coming down the straight, Haffner being asked for an effort

Gentle Hurricane is beaten, Haffner took his time to get there but he’s leading now …

Haffner stays on strongly and he’s around a two-length winner …

The field is down at the start for the Acomb Stakes, here’s the latest betting:

11-8 Haffner
4-1 Gentle Hurricane
9-2 Trean
9-1 Alfred Wallace
12-1 Stardom Glory
20-1 bar

INTERNATIONAL STAKES CONTENDER: Item.

Age: 3. Runs: 5. Wins: 4. Group One wins: 0.

Trainer: Andrew Balding. Timeform rating: 123p.

It’s not entirely fair to paint today’s feature event as a two-horse race as Andrew Balding’s three-year-old has just a single blip on his record after four starts, when he set off as a leading fancy in the betting for the Derby at Epsom in early June.

That race, on rain-softened ground around Epsom’s switchback track, came very early in the career of Andrew Balding’s colt, who ran out an impressive winner of the Dante Stakes here, over today’s course and distance, in May.

Item is, in fact, unbeaten over track and trip, having bounced back to winning form after his Epsom disappointment with a win in the Group Two York Stakes in July.

2.25 YORK, ACOMB STAKES, GROUP THREE, 2YO, 7F

The second race of the day is a contest for two-year-olds that sits on the bottom rung of the Group-race ladder, but has been contested by an impressive list of future Group One winners over the years.

Since 2022 alone, the field has included two subsequent winners of the 2,000 Guineas – Chaldean and Ruling Court – and two winners of the six-furlong July Cup, in Shaquille and Mill Stream, and today’s field also 10-strong field looks brimful of promise.

Aidan O’Brien’s Haffner is a warm favourite to go one better than he did in the Group Two Vintage Stakes at Goodwood last month.

He faces several rivals that could take a big step forward today, however, and Trean, another Irish-trained runner but from the Paddy Twomey yard, is also a fascinating contender after winning a maiden at Galway by nearly five lengths last time out.

Alfred Wallace (Ed Walker/Kieran Shoemark) and Gentle Hurricane (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) also arrive on the back of convincing wins last time out.

SELECTION: TREAN.

It all went according to plan for the low-numbered stalls there, as Lexington Blitz fired out into the lead and gave the far side an advantage that they never surrendered.

The first four home were drawn five, nine, four and six.

Lexington Blitz away fast, far side leading at the moment,

The Man is tracking him, Toca Madera also going well,

The Man comes through, also Air Force One and Corolla Point …

Inside the final furlong, Air Force One hits the front, he’s going to hold on and win …

Off and running in the opener at York’s Ebor Festival!

1.50 York, latest betting:

11-2 Toca Madera & The Man
6-1 Corolla Point
8-1 Air Force One
10-1 Lexington Blitz & Stratusnine
12-1 Naana’s Sparkle
16-1 bar

1.50 YORK, HANDICAP, 5F 89YD

A maximum field of 22 runners is heading to post for the opening race of the day, and while they will be stretched right across the track, both the draw and pace angles on the straight course at the Knavesmire could help to narrow the field down to a manageable shortlist.

A low draw is a significant advantage, though admittedly the bookies are well aware of this too and the top five in the betting – Corolla Point, The Man, Toca Madera, Air Force One and Lexington Blitz – will all be leaving single-figure stalls.

Horses that race on or close to the pace also tend to come out on top, and the speediest individuals among that quintet are Toca Madera and Lexington Blitz, and the former arrives in excellent form having finished just over a length behind the winner in the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood last time out without getting much luck in running.

His previous form over five furlongs at the same track gives him a big chance and he has drawn very well in stall four.

SELECTION: TOCA MADERA.

INTERNATIONAL STAKES CONTENDER: Constitution River
Age: 3. Runs: 6. Wins: 5. Group One wins: 2.
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien. Timeform rating: 128p.

Aidan O’Brien’s main contender has taken on the mantle of the season’s leading three-year-old in training since the unfortunate news last week that Bow Echo, the Sussex Stakes winner, had been retired due to injury. After just six starts, he is already on a world rating of 124, 7lb behind Ombudsman, and has obvious scope to close the gap, at the very least, on the Knavesmire today.

He announced himself as a three-year-old with an easy romp to success in the Dee Stakes at Chester – marking himself out as a potential star by recording an exceptional time – and duly confirmed his Group One quality with a win in the French Derby at Chantilly less than a month later.

Having proved himself his own generation, Constitution River then stepped into open company and swatted six rivals aside in the Group One Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in early July.

He has something to find with the more experienced Ombudsman on the ratings, but more than enough time and scope to do so.

INTERNATIONAL STAKES CONTENDER: Ombudsman

Age: 5. Runs: 12. Wins: 3. Group One wins: 4.

Trainer: John & Thady Gosden. Timeform rating: 134.

The clock is ticking down towards the sprint handicap at 1.50, but there’s plenty of time to run the tape over the Big Two in today’s feature event, starting with the narrow favourite, Ombudsman.

He arrives today following a second successive victory in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he showed an exceptional turn of foot down the outside to charge past Minnie Hauk and Daryz – last year’s second and winner in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe respectively – and win by four lengths.

John & Thady Gosden’s five-year-old was also a three-and-a-half length winner of this race last year, after a strangely-run race in which his pacemaker, Birr Castle, appeared to have got loose on the lead and was only worn down inside the final furlong.

He is also currently the world’s joint top-rated middle-distance horse, alongside the brilliant Hong Kong-based sprinter, Ka Ying Rising, and a convincing win today could see him improve to clear leader in the race to be named Racehorse of the Year in January.

Some slightly disappointing news to report from the Knavesmire: after weeks of heatwaves and drought warnings, the weather has taken a distinct turn for the worse. It’s been raining steadily for an hour now, and there’s not much sign of a let-up.

If it carries on like this for too much longer, we could conceivably be looking at a going change to good-to-soft.