The six-year-old is up to a career-high official rating of 95 after an impressive set of results in the opening months of the season.
Regal Envoy’s hot streak began at Newmarket in April when he was rated 84. Since then, he has proved himself something of a Windsor specialist, finishing second before registering back-to-back victories over five furlongs at the Berkshire racecourse.
Knight reports Regal Envoy to be in “good order” and has fingers crossed the gelding remains ahead of the handicapper for the £65,000 York assignment.
The Newmarket-based trainer said: “This will be the toughest race he’s run in this year – it’s just whether he can step up to this grade. But he seems to be in a really good place at the moment.
“Some of these sprinters can improve with age and he looks like he’s doing that. He used to get a bit stressy and I think he’s just a bit more relaxed and that helps him through his race.”
Knight hopes Regal Envoy remain unflustered through the preliminaries at York and is happy to have secured, once again, the services of Oisin Murphy. The reigning champion jockey has ridden Regal Envoy in each of his last four runs.
Knight said: “I think having Oisin on board is a big plus. He gets a really good tune out of him and they get on well with each other, so I think it’s important that he’s riding him.”
Regal Envoy is drawn five in a nine-strong field for the five-furlong contest, carrying a first prize of £33,501.
The most valuable race on the card is the £100,000 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Criterion Stakes.
The seven-furlong Group Three is being staged on the Knavesmire for the first time. Whoever wins on Saturday has the added bonus of the contest being a “run for free” race ahead of the £600,000 Sky Bet City of York Stakes, which now carries Group One status and is due to be run on Saturday 23 August, the final day of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.
Eight horses will line up in the feature of seven-race card this weekend, among those in action are 2023 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Gimcrack Stakes winner Lake Forest and Prague, successful at Newmarket in the Group 2 Joel Stakes last September.
Saturday’s fixture starts at 1.55pm with the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Mile Handicap and will end with a live concert by Olly Murs.
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