Saltmoore Collection Handicap Stakes (GBBPlus Race)

15:15 York Sun 06 Sep 2026 1m2f56y Class 3 Good 17 runners

Mr Fox’s call

Besieged

SPECULATIVE Advised 9/4 Est. 30%

Mr Fox says

Besieged (SR 99, 9/4) is the clear class-leader in this field by a meaningful margin — 8 SR points clear of the next-best Teumessias Fox and Castle Stuart — and the form-string 2-2-1 shows a progressive 3-year-old peaking at exactly the right time. Running off ClassMv:= means no step up in class to worry about, and at 9-8 in weight the handicapper hasn't overloaded him. Trainer Harry Charlton runs at a solid 17% strike rate from 247 runners, giving real confidence in yard form. The 89-day absence is the one flag, but the market at 9/4 — implying ~31% — is aligned with this reading, and there is no sign of a drift to suggest any concern in the market. Each-way alternative: Dark Moon Rising. Main danger: Castle Stuart — Castle Stuart (SR 91, 7/2) is the second-highest-rated runner, drops a class (ClassMv:↓1), carries only 9-10, holds Course:W0P3 at York, and has a gentle market move in (Mkt:in8%) — the Fahey yard flag as stable #1 over Have Secret adds further weight to his claims.

Verify· #16419

Full result

Winner: Stoneacre Donny (GB) at SP 7/1. Mr Fox’s picks highlighted in gold.