Ante-post favourite Sweet William guaranteed a run in Saturday's Ebor as 39 confirmed for feature handicap

Sweet William, the general 4-1 favourite for the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap on Saturday, has been guaranteed a run after the latest confirmation stage.

The four-year-old, who has landed marquee handicaps at Newbury and Goodwood this season, was close to the cut-off point for the £500,000 prize, which has a maximum field of 22.

Helped by a 4lb penalty, Sweet William has moved up to 17th on the list following Monday's confirmations stage, with Saratoga Gold the final horse guaranteed a run in the four-day meeting's feature handicap.

Among the 39 runners confirmed for the race were Ascot winner Real Dream and the Willie Mullins-trained pair Absurde and Jackfinbar. As anticipated, the topweight Hamish was among those taken out, along with Sunday's Irish St Leger Trial second and third Dawn Rising and Okita Soushi.

Adjuvant, a general 16-1 chance who chased home Sweet William last time, needs two horses to come out in order to run but his trainer Michael Bell is already constructing plans for his consistent stayer.

"We honestly didn't think we'd get in off 95 but now we're likely to get in we're keen to go," he said. "He ran very well in the Melrose last year, he's 2lb well in and we're endeavouring to book a jockey as we speak.

"You could pick him and the winner out as the ones who were going to be involved from long way at Goodwood last time and Frankie Dettori was very kind to our horse in the last half-furlong. He's taking his racing very well and has definitely improved this year."

Adjuvant: needs two to come out to get a run in Saturday's Ebor

Bell, who will also be represented by Queen's Guard in the Group 2 Sky Bet Lowther Stakes on Thursday, is confident his runner has what it takes to be involved at the finish.

"He must be one of the principals given his consistency," he said. "He's definitely an on-song horse who, on the evidence of this year, is guaranteed to run his race. He handled testing conditions at Goodwood but he's got good form on fast ground too."

The Northumberland Plate runner-up Golden Rules, who was as short as 12-1 ante-post and would have been rated high enough to get a run, was not included in the confirmations after failing to please his trainer Deborah Faulkner on Monday morning.

Sky Bet Ebor Handicap confirmations

Live Your Dream
Enemy
Scriptwriter
Cemhaan
Tashkhan
Yashin
Ocean Wind
Sunchart
Absurde
Calling The Wind
Jackfinbar
Get Shirty
HMS President
Chillingham
Real Dream
Caius Chorister
Sweet William
Moracana
Euchen Glen
Scampi
Wickywickywheels
Saratoga Gold
Berkshire Rocco
Adjuvant
Post Impressionist
Enfranchise
Zoffman
Law Of The Sea
East Asia
Nusret
Zinc White
Dark Jedi
Charging Thunder
Wootton'Sun
Toshizou
Geremia
Faylaq
Forza Orta
Blow Your Horn

Sky Bet Ebor Handicap (3.35 York, Saturday)

Sky Bet: 4 Sweet William, 7 Absurde, 8 Real Dream, 9 Live Your Dream, 12 Scampi, 14 Jackfinbar, 16 Adjuvant, Calling The Wind, Chillingham, Yashin, 20 bar

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