LEADING Yorkshire Oaks contender Sacred Song has the class to bring a much-needed boost to an otherwise disappointing season for Henry Cecil.

A couple of years ago it would have been inconceivable that the ten-times former champion trainer would only have one runner at York's highly-prestigious Ebor Meeting.

But such has been the recent decline of the fifty-eight-year-old Newmarket handler it now appears that Sacred Song is going to be his only representative this time round.

On the plus side, at least Cecil's big hope comes into the £250,000 Group 1 Fillies & Mares event on the back of a hugely impressive four length success over Ranin in the mile-and-a-half Lancashire Oaks at Haydock 46 days ago.

The biggest betting race of the day, the £185,000 Tote Ebor, has as usual attracted a massively competitive maximum 22-runner line-up.

The current ante-post favourite is John Smith's Cup mile-and-a-quarter winner, Foreign Affairs, who looks poor value at around 5-1.

"The big concern is whether he'll get the trip and I haven't got a clue," said his trainer Sir Mark Prescott, responsible for 1994 Ebor hero, Hasten To Add. Personally I'd take that comment with a pinch of salt since Prescott, one of the shrewdest operators in the game, wouldn't be sending his rapidly-improving three-year-old into battle unless he thought the 14 furlong distance was within Foreign Affair's range.

There's also been good money for the Barry Hills' trained Solo Flight over the past few days. He should be in the first six, however the one I prefer is the much longer priced, Shayadi (3.10), worth an each-way punt at odds of 20-1 or better.

Mark Johnston has done particularly well with ex-John Ox stock from Ireland, and the selection is another who has arrived at Kingsley House via that well-trodden route.

Shayadi opened his British account in spectacular style with a runaway win at Pontefract over ten furlongs in early April. Although the four-year-old has not got his head in front since, he had no luck in running whatsoever when second to Jack Dawson at Ayr in June.

I'm firmly of the belief that Shayadi is best when fresh, so his 60-day absence is a major bonus, as is his relatively low weight on account of the gelding's somewhat diminutive stature.

The six furlong Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes features a bunch of extremely fast juveniles including the Irish raider Rock Of Gibraltar and John Gosden's Waldenburg (3.45).

The latter put up a fast time at Newbury when lowering the colours of David Loder's Dubai Destination, who subsequently put himself bang into next season's Classic picture with a blistering success at Newmarket.

Jamie Osborne's Royal Ascot winner, Irony (4.15), side-steps the Gimcrack in favour of the following less demanding Costcutter Roses Stakes, a switch lightly to reap rich dividends.

Rajab (4.45) is an interesting newcomer in the Moorestyle Convivial Stakes, while David Barron's speed star Muja Farewell (5.15) could take some catching in the closing five furlong Falmouth Handicap.