Elarqam to take a step up at York

Elarqam makes the step up to an extended mile and a quarter on his return to action in the York Stakes on Saturday.

The Mark Johnston-trained three-year-old was last seen in May after following up a respectable fourth-placed finish in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket with a disappointing performance in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh.

However, the Frankel colt is now looking to bounce back in the company of seven older horses this weekend, including Sir Michael Stoute's Smart Call and the Richard Fahey-trained Forest Ranger.

There is another York outing for John Smith's Cup runner-up, David Menuisier's Thundering Blue, while Brorocco, Euginio, Fabricate and Euro Nightmare complete the line-up.