Thursday Racing Tips: Tony Calvin is backing 12/1 Toshizou on day two at York

• Tony talks through the second day of action at York

• A double-figure price catches the eye with his sole pick

• Read his thoughts on the day's action below

York - 15:35 - No Bet

I am not sure I can remember the last time an unbeaten Aidan O'Brien colt went into a big, recognised Derby trial not even having an Epsom entry - I thought Ballydoyle entered them en masse - but that is the case with Continuous in the Dante on Thursday.

Mind you, I was very surprised to discover the last York trial winner he saddled was Cape Blanco in 2010, so maybe this race is not high on his agenda these days.

The vibes seem strong enough for Continuous (though he is currently very weak on the exchange at 11.5) and maybe he didn't get an Epsom entry because his pedigree suggested more miler than middle-distance horse, but the way he dug in to win his Group 3 in France in testing ground over a mile suggests he could outstay the bloodlines, though he is out of a Galileo mare.

And he did look a grinder at Saint-Cloud, and one with a fair knee action too (possibly a factor in not being entered at Epsom, or maybe he was just a late entrant to the yard), to my untrained eye at least.

Either way, this is clearly a very tricky race to call.

The unbeaten pair of Canberra Legend and Passenger have proven race-fitness on their side, as do other form horses Epictetus and The Foxes and a few others to boot, but how straight the O'Brien colt and Godolphin's Flying Honours are here could dictate where the prize lands.

To me, it looks like far too much of a guess-up with these unexposed 3yo colts, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Craven third Dancing Magic, stepping up to a trip that should suit as a brother to a 1m6f winner, or the Ballysax winner White Birch caused a mini-upset for the smaller yards.

However, this is the kind of race where you if went to sleep six times, and woke up afterwards and looked at this race afresh, you'd come up with six different selections.

So over and out here.

York - 13:50 - No Bet

It is a tricky punting card, though the handicapper has given the old man of this particular party, Copper Knight, every chance of winning the 13:50 again, having obliged in 2019 and 2021.

He has slipped down to a mark of 88 here, having raced off 104 in this race last season - and he has won in the interim, too - and I think the Sportsbook may have been a touch dismissive of his chance in sticking him in at 12/1.

He has had two starts this season and, interestingly, he was having his third outing of his campaign when winning this in 2019 and 2021 , so I imagine this has been D-Day from some way out for Tim Easterby.

Mind you, that is a pretty obvious observation.

In fact, the horse has also won third time out in 2016, 2017 and 2018 too, so it is a path well, and successfully, trodden.

However, it's a sprint handicap lest we forget, he is a 9yo now and his draw in one could be feast or famine, so I will stop short of putting him up as a bet. Dangers are everywhere, and the stable-switcher Bedford Flyer is a dangerous floater at 20/1.

As you can gather though, I was tempted.

Free Wind will kick the others out of the way and laugh at them while doing so if fully tuned up for this race - I bet John Gosden covers himself and says something like "she is only 80-85 per cent" to the press on Wednesday, as that is one of favourite lines in situations like these - but it has to be a doubt.

I actually chucked a few quid on her for the Arc after her stunning win in the Lancashire Oaks last July - she got murdered in the run but still won handsomely - but she was injured in that race and Gosden just couldn't get her back on the track, despite a few false dawns. It must have been pretty serious.

With that in mind, and to be fair to the co-trainer, he'd have every right to have left plenty to work on over a trip short of her best on good ground. So, as much as I love the horse, she is too short for me at around 6/4 on the exchange. The opposition are no mugs either.

I'll leave the race alone and the same comment applies to an absolutely filthy 3yo 5f Listed race at 16:10.

You can throw a horse's rug over most of these form-wise, and they are basically all forward-goers and it just looks an impossible heat.

Walbank is the obvious one I guess but we haven't seen him since July and he reappears in a first-time tongue-tie, so I imagine he has had an issue or two.

York - 15:00 - Back Toshizou

I better tip a horse or else I'll be getting the bullet, but luckily Toshizou has come to my rescue in the 7f192yd handicap at 15:00.

The early 18/1 and 16/1 on Tuesday predictably didn't last - and the 14s with the Sportsbook annoyingly also went before I filed this - but back him at 13.012/1 or bigger win-only on the exchange.

That should be easily attainable given the depth of the race, and 12/1 is still available in a couple of places (the Sportsbook are 11/1 and offer five places for each-way punters, and that may be the best place to play him before the liquidity arrives). I can see him drifting back out a touch, but 11/1+ is my guide.

That should be easily attainable given the depth of the race, and 12/1 is still available in a few places (the Sportsbook are 11/1 and offer five places for each-way punters). I can see him drifting back out a touch, but 12/1+ is my guide.

He has been slowly coming down the weights as his performances have been getting better this season, and a mark of 92 now looks ripe for exploiting as he encounters good ground for the first time this season.

He handles dig but his best run in Ireland came on good, when a ¾ length second off a 3lb higher mark than this (finished well clear of the third, who won a handicap two starts later), and this race promises to be run to suit.

He stays further than this so a fierce gallop will suit his closing style and, drawn wide 17, he has pace around him in 12, 13, 16 and 18.

If he can be produced on the outside, free from trouble - I really don't want to see him heading for the inner early doors as there could be a pace collapse here with horses falling back into his lap - and come with one sustained run, then he will hopefully scythe this lot down.

I have had a very small bet on Liv My Life at 9/1 in the 2yo race at Salisbury at 14:05 - I am a shrewdie as she is now a general 10s poke - but it was not a strong enough view to stick her up here.

Back tomorrow.