Kevin Blake: Mishriff to lower colours of Baaeed on day one of York Ebor Festival

Everyone will have their own favourites, but for me the Ebor meeting at York is right up there at the top of the mountain in terms of my favourite race meeting in the UK and Ireland.

It is a wonderfully well-run track, the racing is world-class and the atmosphere always matches the occasion.

Regrettably I won't be in attendance this year, but I'm looking forward to watching it all unfold on ITV Racing and there are sure to be plenty of attractive betting propositions throughout the week.

Back Atalis to keep sprint rivals at Bay

The first of them comes in the opening race of the meeting, the Sky Bet and Symphony Group Handicap (13:50). The pace tends to hold up well on the sprint track at York and while there are plenty candidates to go forward, the one I like is the Robert Cowell-trained Atalis Bay.

The four-year-old has appealed as being well handicapped since he finished a close third in a strong five-furlong handicap at Haydock almost a year ago, but little has gone right for him since.

He has changed trainer and been gelded in that time, but he gave his strongest indication yet that he is ready to strike again when getting no luck in the Shergar Cup last time. Despite everything going wrong, he was only beaten 2¾ lengths and he appeals as being capable of significantly better when getting more luck.

As well as that, his trainer Robert Cowell has had a quiet season up to this point, but he's had two winners in recent days and they might just be a sign that they are turning the corner.

Trip a big question mark for Baaeed against top class Mishriff

The main event of the day is the Juddmonte International (15:35) which regularly features amongst the highest-rated races in the world at the end of the year and this year it has attracted the current highest-rated horse in the world in Baaeed.

There is a widespread assumption that Baaeed will be at least as good if not better over this extended mile-and-a-quarter trip, but I wouldn't like to make that assumption.

Many have pointed to his pedigree and the fact he is a full-brother to Hukum to support this view, but there is far more relevant evidence on offer than the bare facts of his pedigree. Baaeed and Hukum may be full brothers, but in mechanical terms, they are very different.

Hukum very much had the slower stride frequencies of the middle-distance performer that he was, but Baaeed is a much, much faster strider. Indeed, Baaeed has hit maximum stride frequencies of 2.5 strides per second in his races.

Such rapid striding is what would typically be expected of a six-furlong sprinter. He is already staying further than his stride frequencies suggest by being so dominant over a mile, but he is stepping up 28% in trip on Wednesday and that represents a significant change in test.

Of course, there are exceptions to expectations of distance preference based on stride frequencies and they often come in the form of exceptional athletes.

For example, Winx was capable of hitting max stride frequencies of over 2.6 strides per second, yet she won multiple Group 1s at a mile-and-a-quarter.

Thus, the above analysis isn't being positioned to say that Baaeed cannot be as effective over the longer trip of the Juddmonte International, but everything in betting is about the prices and it raises enough concern to justify opposing him at 4/11.

The one I like against him is the John Gosden-trained Mishriff. He was electric when winning this race last year and showed he retains much of that ability when finishing an unlucky second in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in July.

His latest run in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot is very forgivable as while many will blame the trip for it, the real damage was done by him making up the ground he forfeited with a very slow start into the teeth of a strong early pace.

Mishriff is a strong stayer at this trip and clearly enjoys everything that this test presents. If he is back to the sort of form that saw him win this race by six lengths last season he will represent a very serious challenger to Baaeed.

If that superstar is anyway unsuited by the longer trip, Mishriff may well be able to capitalise on it.