First-class Passenger sets off from York on mission to scale the European middle-distance heights

It is not unusual on King George day for the best middle-distance horse in Britain to be running, but it's a lot more unusual for them to be doing so at York.

Step forward Passenger, Sir Michael Stoute's latest in a long, long line of lightly raced four-year-olds full of Group 1 promise who lines up in the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes (3.15).

On Racing Post Ratings this season only milers Charyn, Rosallion and Notable Speech, and stayer Giavellotto, have clocked a higher figure than the 121 awarded to Passenger for his Huxley Stakes victory back in May – putting him top of the middle-distance category alongside Hamish who matched that rating in the Coronation Cup.