Alan Dudman's York Big Race Verdict: Add Burdett Road to Ebor Saturday chances

• Queenstown in as the Ebor favourite for Saturday

• Fairbanks in stall 15, and high numbers have done well recently

• Alan Dudman has added Burdett Road to his Ebor preview

Queenstown Superboost

Queenstown is the favourite to win today's feature race at York, the Ebor Handicap at 15:35, and the Betfair Sportsbook have very generously boosted Aidan O'Brien's ultra consistent 4yo out to 1/12.00 (from 4/71.57) just to finish in the top eight in today's contest.

Queenstown is a high class performer who has yet to finish outside of the top three in all of his six lifetime starts. He has twice finished runner-up to Europe's best stayer - Kyprios - in his last two starts and a reproduction of that form should see him being bang in contention today. Just click on the odds in the below banner to take advantage of the top eight boost.

Six places for the Ebor and ante-post pick in stall 15

The York charabanc rolls onto a final and epic day potentially with the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap and at the time of writing a maximum field of 22 chasing the rich prize of a cool £300,000 to the winner and 13 of the 22 rated three-figures.

Ground started as officially good on Friday following the previous night's 6mm of rain but with the gusty winds and dry forecast, that should be turning quick for Saturday.

And the Sportsbook is paying six places for each-way bets here, so we'll look to add to this week's ante-post pick with Fairbanks - who has been allotted stall 15 and regular rider Oisin Murphy is on Andrew Balding's other runner Relentless Voyager, who heads the weights and has got an even wider draw in 20.

In previous seasons we have seen Frankie Dettori take the Ebor honours, and we have also seen high draws go well with the last four winners coming from 24, 20, 14 and 12.

Doyle in for Ballydolye

Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore in particular have enjoyed a dominant week, and while we all know how good Moore is in the saddle, he has ridden like the great Rugby Union winger David Duckham used to play. Duckham was once described by the peerless writer Frank Keating as running with winged boots no more than an inch from the touchline. Swiftness of foot and thought, what panache and what enchantment.

All words apt for City Of Troy.

Moore has had winged riding gloves this week and he's never been far from the pace or the ideal position. He should be recognised as one of the greats.

With no Moore on Queenstown, the Ebor favourite at 6/17.00, James Doyle comes in for the ride on the horse with a rating of 107 and a wide draw in 22.

Doyle didn't have winged gloves on at Windsor on Monday.

Queenstown had a fairly solid three-year-old campaign but didn't race as a juvenile, and has improved this season upped in distance to 1m6f.

His run in the Saval Beg Group 3 in May was his last appearance, and while the bare form looks excellent beaten 1L, he was flattered there due to the steady pace, and his mark looks inflated to me off 107. I could be wrong, and am wrong plenty of times, but he does look quirky.

Irish challenge strong

Four of the top nine in the betting including Queenstown are trained in Ireland, with Willie Mullins looking to follow up last year's win in the race with Hipop De Loire.

The 7yo is priced at 13/27.50, and was in from 15/28.50 on Friday afternoon, and has a most unusual profile coming into the race. But that's Willie - a tremendous mind that constantly thinks outside the box.

Does he warrant that price?

He was beaten in a Galway Maiden Hurdle last time - his first run for 279 days, but was a German winner to a smart level, and held winning form over 1m6f on good ground. A mark of 103 does look stiff.

Henry De Bromhead's Magical Zoe was fourth to last year's Ebor winner Absurde in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham, with the steady pace against her in deep ground. She can race enthusiastically, and will have the pace to run at here and at least there's more evidence with her.

My Mate Mozzie, another chief Irish threat at 14/115.00 ran a fine third in the Galway Hurdle last time and was a third at Ascot earlier in the summer. He did hit a flat spot there before running on, and I wonder if he has enough tactical pace for this sort of race - as we've seen at York this week how hard it is to make up ground.

Rated 150 over jumps and seen running in this year's Arkle, what a fascinating contender.

Is Murphy on the right one?

Fairbanks is now 8/19.00, and that's a point bigger than when I put him up earlier in the week, and I've always held the belief this will be his sort of race.

He travels well, usually sits on the speed, and has no issue with the ground. He stays well too although went down in a fight into second at Goodwood when I thought he had it. Delving more into the times and the closing speed, a finishing percentage of 112% tells a story, as Align The Stars just had too much stamina, and was a runner in the 2m Lonsdale Cup at the time of writing.

Potentially there is a quirk there, and he has scored twice in the first-time headgear and blinkers remain the third time.

Relentless Voyager has been a mover on the Sportsbook in from 16/117.00 to 11/112.00, whether that is Oisin momentum I don't know, but he is top weight and drawn in 20. Different tactics were employed last time, as they made the running with the horse behind Al Aasy, and he's back into handicap company.

I still prefer my Fairbanks, and I've been crying out for him to really press on and make the running like he did at Newcastle in May, as he set a fast pace there and just gallops.

Big price options with the six places

Ziggy is a model of consistency and is having another crack at 1m6f having disappointed on his only try at the distance back in 2021, and while I think he'll stay well and has an excellent draw on the inside in four, I don't think he will quite have the class for a race of this nature.

He needs a personal best by far from a career-high 101, but he won at the track last time and was third in the Duke Of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot (with Epic Poet second).

My each-way idea would be Burdett Road - who jumps fans and Cheltenham patrons will know only too well as he was sent off a warm 6/5 favourite for the Triumph Hurdle Trial race in January but was turned over and wasn't seen at the Festival.

The Triumph can throw up very good Flat horses, as I know to my ill-luck with one of my favourites Starluck many moons ago - and I was there to witness Starluck tank around Cheltenham before faltering up the hill.

Burdett Road has a very high cruising speed and bounces off fast ground, and armed with a good draw low, I can see him racing handily and he's one there is no doubt has enough tactical speed.

Whether he stays the 1m6f trip is the question, but he ran a nice prep at Ascot last time and rated 101, I'd be more interested in him than some other Cheltenham friends.

Now read more from Betfair's team of writers ahead of Ebor day at York on Saturday