York Day One Racing Tips: Alan Dudman likes two Knavesmire runners at 14/1 and 12/1

York, 13:50, Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Handicap Tip: Back Dark Thirty EW six places @ 14/115.00

4 (13)

Dark Thirty (Ire)

• J: Jason Hart
• T: John & Sean Quinn
• F: 07102120

• SBK 16/1
• EXC 29

A few old favourite speedsters do battle in a 22-runner minefield to kick-start day one on the Knavesmire. Against The Wind and Apollo One, with Candy to a lesser extent, are decent prices but are not exactly in rip-roaring form.

Against The Wind, often pretty quick, has had a five star season - unfortunately one star for each of his last five outings, while Candy must be the only horse rated nearly 100 to have been virtually lapped in a sprint in his last two outings.

Dark Thirty is where I am coming down, and is a very solid 6f horse who drops half a furlong, but he deserves another chance after the Evening Saigon race at Goodwood last time in the Stewards' Cup, or as one presenter calls it, "Stoo-ards".

Anyhow, Dark Thirty was far side as the field split, and it was evident that Dark Thirty chased the pace-setter too hard on his side and looked a non-stayer with the way he emptied.

He ran three very fast opening furlongs, including 10.62 seconds and 10.52. With that at a speed track, a closer was the main beneficiary, but Dark Thirty's speed and back half-a-furlong could be of great benefit on Wednesday.

I thought he was going really well too in the Stewards up to 2f. Drawn in 13 I've got to take it on the chin but he might just be sharpest out early here and six places for an each-way dart on the Sportsbook is so tempting.

York, 16:10, Sky Bet Stayers Handicap Tip: Back Mountain Road EW five places @ 12/113.00

17 (8)

Mountain Road (Fr)

• J: Lauren Young
• T: Jim Goldie
• F: 118/43513

• SBK 14/1
• EXC 17.5

With the Acomb, Voltigeur and Juddmonte comprising of short priced favourites, I merrily skip along into the 2m Handicap at 16:10 and another each-way shot here with Mountain Road.

We also have five places on the Sportsbook.

It's quite the luxury of not having 16 runners from Goldie all in the same race to choose from, and Mountain Road sneaks in at the bottom of the handicap from an extremely low weight.

As a seven-year-old, he's not exactly in the unexposed category, and in some way caught the eye at Ascot in the Shergar Cup last time. Yutaka Take is one of the greats in the saddle, but he must have thought he was on Deep Impact with the amount of ground he conceded.

To say he had a poor start in rear was an understatement. He ran the fastest final furlong in the field at Ascot off a steady pace, so we can upgrade that, and and this race is a little extra yardage than at Ascot.

Prior; he scored in tidy fashion at Thirsk, landing a 0-90, again coming from a long way back.

In fact, it was all the more meritorious he scored in the way he did, as the second St Faz had the advantage of making the running and the third was certainly more forward in terms of early pace than Mountain Road.

The race also recorded a finishing speed of 105% for the winner, and a thorough test will suit even better as he's not exactly a push-button acceleration type, as he took ages to wind up near-side at Thirsk.

At 11/112.00 he'll stay well I am sure and goes on the ground.

Now read more tips and previews for York here!