ROYAL ASCOT WINNING TRAINER CONSIDERS THE NEW SKY BET YORK STAKES AS A TARGET

Royal Ascot winner Snoqualmie Boy is in line for a tilt at the inaugural
running of the £100,000 Group Two Sky Bet York Stakes, which takes place at
York Racecourse on Saturday, July 29, 2006.

The exciting new 10-furlong contest for three-year-olds and upwards could
be the next outing for David Elsworth's charge, who stylishly bounced back
from a disappointing effort in the Vodafone Derby to take the 10-furlong
Listed Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Jeff Smith-owned three-year-old is held in high regard and subsequently
took his chance in the Group One Eclipse at Sandown on July 8, when he ran
with credit to finish sixth to David Junior, beaten under five lengths.

Elsworth revealed this morning: "He's in the Juddmonte International
(August 22) at York so he can go there after the Sky Bet York Stakes. It's
definitely under consideration as it would be a good idea to run in both.
It's important to have these good races.

"He's fine after his run in the Eclipse. He did it well at Ascot but that
was against his own age and it wasn't a Group One, whereas at Sandown he
was in against better horses and maybe that was his limit, but he ran a
sound race. I do think there's a bit more to come from him though.

"I'm considering dropping him to a mile at some stage. It's difficult to
find their trip sometimes. If you look back at the Ascot race, he had it
won but then in the last 50 yards the other horse, who had looked beaten,
was getting back at him. I've watched it again and I think he may just have
been running out of energy."

Snoqualmie Boy could face the Clive Brittain-trained Kandidate in the Sky
Bet York Stakes.

Brittain's charge, a winner at Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, in January and twice
victorious on the Polytrack this year, was considered talented enough to
compete in Group One company this term in the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes and
Queen Anne Stakes, both over a mile.

Kandidate returned to Listed class at Sandown on July 7 and scored a
decisive victory in the 10-furlong Seymour Pierce Gala Stakes, pulling two
and a half lengths clear of second-placed Windsor Knot.

Brittain reported: "Kandidate is very well after his win at Sandown so he's
certainly a candidate. He's in a Listed race at Newbury on Saturday (July
22) but I think the York race is definitely one we'd be considering."

The Sky Bet York Stakes is one of six races sponsored by the leading sports
betting company on the seven-race card, which also features the prestigious
£50,000 Sky Bet Dash Heritage Handicap over six furlongs.

Last year's high-class renewal went to the Barry Hills-trained La
Cucaracha, who returned to the Knavesmire the following month and secured
victory in the Group One VC Bet Nunthorpe Stakes.

Racing commences at 2.10pm with the £15,000 Skybet.com EBF Fillies'
Handicap over 10 furlongs and is followed at 2.40pm by the two and a
quarter mile Sky Bet Press Red To Bet On Channel Four Handicap, worth
£12,500.

The Sky Bet Dash will take place at 3.15pm and the Sky Bet York Stakes at
3.50pm. The two features precede the running of the six-furlong £10,100 Sky
Bet Median Auction Stakes (4.25pm) and the £10,000 skybet.com Claiming
Stakes (5.00pm) over seven furlongs.

Dale Tempest, Sky Bet PR Director, commented: "The Sky Bet York Stakes is
an exciting venture for both Sky Bet and York Racecourse, who must be
applauded for there foresight in bringing yet another high-class contest to
the Knavesmire.

"The Sky Bet York Stakes reaffirms Sky Bet's commitment to the sport and
strengthens our partnership with York. We look forward to a thrilling
inaugural running of the race, which will complement what is already a
quality raceday, featuring one of the season's top sprint handicaps, the
Sky Bet Dash."

William Derby, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Course at York, added:
"We're delighted to be able to add another quality race to a day in late
July that has gone from strength to strength. We were already looking
forward to the Sky Bet Dash and the return of top tribute band, Killer
Queen, and the news of these possible runners means we are set for even
more tremendous entertainment."

York now boasts a Pattern race on 11 of its traditional 15 days of racing,
emphasising the quality of racing on the Knavesmire throughout the season.

Sky Bet is supporting another first at York on Thursday evening, July 27,
when it sponsors the first race run over the trip of five and a half
furlongs at the course. The contest is part of the preparations for the
temporary relocation of the St Leger Festival in September, when the
Portland Handicap will be over this unusual sprinting distance.