Daryl Carter's Tips: Haggas can do it again at York on Day One

• Group horse Klondike can get us off to a flyer in opening handicap

• Montassib looks like a cracking each-way bet in Clipper

• Elmonjed must overcome obstacles but is well handicapped

14:15 York - Back Klondike @ 4/15.00 2.5pt (NAP)

Heavy rain is due at York on Wednesday, which will almost certainly affect the current good, good to firm in places going description. That may be an angle to exploit at this early stage.

The Jorvik Handicap is a race that has been dominated in recent years by four-year-olds, and the first horse on the list was William Haggas' Klondike - 4/15.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who should have no issues with the impending rain turning this into a stiff stamina test.

The four-year-old drops into a handicap for the first time on his seasonal debut following a wind operation, having disappointed when last seen at Newbury in the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes. That effort was too bad to be accurate, considering he had shown race-by-race progression before that.

He chased home Queen's Vase winner Gregory at Goodwood when still looking green and not entirely in love with the undulating track, and he deserved being marked up for his fourth at Newmarket in the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy Stakes, having been held up off a steady pace.

Despite suffering a slowly run affair and being adrift of the strong field, he picked up strongly in the closing stages, was forced into the centre of the track, and stuck to the task powerfully. He was impossibly positioned in that race but emerged with plenty of credit, and he is a Group horse in a handicap today.

The selection holds plenty of upside to his profile, and returning to a flat track for the first time since his debut victory is a big positive. I fancy him coming out on top of Flash Bardot and Lightning Company.

He is well-found at the head of the market, but 4/15.00 is very fair, and I expect him to go off closer to 5/23.50. The wind operation and the likelihood of a truly run race now tackling a handicap make him a very appealing proposition for a trainer who has won this twice in the last three years with horses making their seasonal debuts - and he can do it again!

14:45 York - Back Great Ambassador @ 14/115.00 1pt

Great Ambassador - 14/115.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - looks overpriced on any form if bouncing back to his best after the run at Newmarket 28 days ago blew away the cobwebs.

He returned from a 599-day absence with a down-the-field effort, but he caught the eye in how he travelled through the race and then took a false step in the dip when trying to quicken, and Tom Marquand was very easy on him.

He has an excellent Listed victory over course and distance and has proven to handle soft going with a brilliant third in the 2021 Stewards Cup from the wrong side of the track. Before his absence, he was still firmly on the upgrade and the handicapper has been remarkably quick to relent with him.

He appeals in the hope that his latest run puts him straight for this and he may be able to reward connections' patience.

He appeals at 10/111.00 or bigger.

14:45 York - BackWobwobwob @ 14/115.00 0.5pt

A small saver is had on Wobwobwob - 16/117.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - whose victory at Thirsk is hard to ignore, considering he won with any amount in hand, having been denied a clear run on two occasions and had to weave a passage.

He was due to run at Ascot last week over seven furlongs, which I think is the wrong trip for him. Given his relatively unexposed profile over sprint distances--mainly when soft is in the going description--I am glad they missed that engagement.

He has an in-and-out profile, so he should be backed win-only at no shorter than 10/111.00.

His two efforts before his Thirsk victory are easily forgiven, and he did go off favourite for a similarly substantial handicap here in October. Still, there must have been something not right on that occasion, stopping to a walk almost inside the final two furlongs. An Ayr Silver Cup win and a Great St Wilfred third before that still means he is less exposed than his profile suggests.

15:15 York - Back Montassib @ 9/110.00 1pt e/w (4 places)

This is a brilliant race; four-year-olds have a good record in this event and must be respected. However, with rain due, a turnup could favour Montassib - 9/110.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook.

The William Haggas runner has thrived since dropping to six furlongs, and he made a remarkable comeback at Doncaster when coming from an impossible position inside the final furlong to score.

He is now unbeaten over seven furlongs or less when the ground is soft, and the more rain that falls, the better his chances. He boasts a brilliant victory at this venue when scoring, going away from the rear of the field off of a handicap rating of 101. He clocked faster than the Rockingham Stakes winner, and today, he arrives firmly on an upward curve.

Spycatcher ran an excellent race at Newmarket on return, and today's conditions will also suit him. He rates the biggest threat under Ryan Moore. Still, if the selection gets the luck in running, he must go close and is a cracking e/w betting proposition at 8/19.00 or bigger.

16:15 York - Back Elmonjed @ BSP 1pt

This can go one of two ways for the potentially very smart Elmonjed, but the percentage call is to treat him like a very smart horse, given the level of form he has shown in two outings at Lingfield and Haydock.

In all honesty, the William Haggas runner has plenty of things against him today. He is drawn widest of all in stall 15, is making his seasonal return, and needs to prove he can handle slow ground. Still, the overwhelming feeling is that this one is well ahead of the handicapper off this opening rating of 90, and he may be smart enough to overcome all of those factors.

He remarkably won at Lingfield, overcoming greenness to burst through horses to get up on the line over one who is twice a winner rated 88. The third is twice a winner, rated 82; the fifth is a winner next time, rated 91; the sixth is twice a winner since rated 85, and he was conceding experience to the second and third.

He showed an excellent attitude to win at Haydock, having to navigate from an unpromising position in the centre of the track. He got up on the line to win well, giving a double penalty (seven pounds) to the subsequent winner in second, now rated 85. The Haydock third (also receiving seven pounds) is now rated 95, and the fifth is twice a winner rated 81.

The truth is there are plenty of unexposed dangers in this race, and with plenty of factors against him, he should have a stiff task, so confidence cannot be high. However, he is a smart prospect and one I don't want to let go unbacked for small stakes. However, he is currently 10/34.33 on the Betfair Sportsbook and it's wise to take the BSP with him likely at his basement price at the time of writing. 4/15.00 or bigger is acceptable and will be freely availble no doubt.

Now Read: Ryan Moore's York thoughts here