Dettori turning back on King George in favour of disputing York Stakes

This Group Two is fast becoming a top-notch race and Saeed bin Suroor is bidding for his third victory in only the fifth running of the mile-and-a-quarter contest.

The trainer relies on Balius, who has his first start in Britain today but is passed over by Dettori in favour of Allybar.

Representing Godolphin's first-season handler Mahmood Al Zarooni, the French recruit couldn't make much of an impact on his own UK debut but he had earlier been narrowly denied in a blanket finish to the Dubai World Cup and a replication of that effort would put him right in the mix.

Debussy was some way in front of Allybar at Royal Ascot and rightly heads most markets, but the interesting contender is Monitor Closely, who has left Peter Chapple-Hyam since winning the Great Voltigeur at the Ebor meeting here, before rounding off his three-year-old campaign with a third in the St Leger.

New trainer Michael Bell believes the Oasis Dream colt will come on for the run, however, and said: "He has shown that he is effective on Knavesmire, having won the Voltigeur.

"It's no secret that we've had problems with his knees this summer, but we have had a very good run with him in the last month and he is as fit as we can get him at home without a run.

"I am hopeful that he can run a good race but, given that we have had to be quite cautious with his training programme, he may just need it."

The Sky Bet Dash provides excellent support to the feature and Iver Bridge Lad will feature high on a lot of shortlists, having filled the runner-up berth behind Victoire De Lyphar in the valuable Reg Griffin Memorial Trophy over this course and distance.

The three-year-old has since gone on to finish on the heels of the place-getters in a couple of hotly-contested affairs at Windsor and Newmarket.

Trainer John Ryan said: "Iver Bridge Lad is in good form and he has been very consistent on his last three starts.

"He went to York last month and to come second was a very good run from a similar draw.

"If he was to reproduce that sort of form, he is going to be in there with a live each-way shout if the race unfolds in front of him."

There is plenty in the way of opposition, though. Richard Fahey puts the blinkers back on Valery Borzov and will know a lot more about the six-year-old sprinter after three runs since taking him off Dandy Nicholls' hands.

Mark Johnston's Lowdown will have to be verging on Group class to defy 9st 6lb as a three-year-old, but the way he won the Scottish Stewards' Cup suggested he may well be.

Barry Hills's team is spearheaded by Sunraider, who creeps in near the foot of the weights and has been kept fresh for this since scoring with plenty up his sleeve at Haydock.

The Channel 4 cameras also cover the first couple of races on the card and Hills could get his day off to a flyer courtesy of Face The Problem in the opening skypoker.com Nursery.

A Gimcrack entry would appear to indicate that the Windsor winner is expected to graduate beyond handicap company in time and the 3lb he receives from Fahey's top-weight Blaze Of Thunder could prove crucial.

Hills and Fahey again cross swords in the skybet.com EBF Fillies' Handicap – Fahey is triple-handed with Amanda Carter, Antigua Sunrise and Starla Dancer, while Hills saddles Tipperary Boutique – but John Gosden could hold the key here with Viewing.

The Cheveley Park-owned three-year-old created a good impression to get off the mark at Lingfield and she has unlimited potential.

Crackentorp has made the frame here three times this season and tries to gain reward for his consistency in the Sky Bet Supporting The Yorkshire Racing Summer Festival Handicap. He is weighted to gain his revenge on Dayia, who relegated him into third at Haydock back in the spring, and may have most to fear from Rangefinder, even though Jane Chapple-Hyam's stayer has let down favourite-backers twice since an honourable sixth in the Ascot Stakes.

Step In Time is capable of rounding off proceedings on a high for Johnston and Dettori in the skybingo.com Handicap before attentions turn to the main stage, where the X Factor finalists bring the curtain down on a meeting that promises to thrill racegoers and music fans alike.