Wednesday tips: Dave Nevison's best bets at York

It is rare these days for William Haggas not to have a runner at the very front of the market in this exciting handicap. The Newmarket handler has won it twice in the last five years and can get back on the winners board in 2026.

Klassleader is far and away the least exposed and most likely improver in this. Described as an imposing horse and one that looks very likely to improve further as a four-year-old, and in truth, he doesn’t look as though he needs to progress to land a race like this.

The trip looks ideal and he is 2lb better off with Sing Us A Song (who might need further this season) who beat him just three-quarters of a length on his handicap debut last September. As ever for this meeting, the Haggas yard arrive here in very good form.

Russet Gold was persistently highly tried by Roger Varian, who clearly held him in high regard as a sprinter. However his form figures show he was a disappointment, despite showing very good form on occasions, including in Group and Listed events.

He has moved to Kevin Ryan (very much in form at present) who has had his wind operated on and the signs were very encouraging on his yard debut at Leicester last month. He was only beaten two and a quarter lengths in a similar grade handicap, but wasn’t knocked about after being hampered and finished well.

He has been dropped 1lb since then, but more importantly, if Russet Gold is back on song in a new environment, he could well surprise.

David Menuisier has his string in very good form and had a well-backed third in a very strong Ascot handicap last weekend.

This could be the best time to catch Master Builder as he ran a very good race on his reappearance last season in a much higher grade Epsom handicap.

He has run two of his very best races at this track, including when placed in the Melrose at the Ebor meeting in 2024.

I feel as though he can still be equally well suited by today’s shorter trip and the booking of Rossa Ryan for the first time is no negative.