Sulamani, prepared in Dubai and trained in England can beat a strong challenge from France and Ireland to lift York's richest race tomorrow on the eagerly-awaited first day of the Ebor Festival.

Frankie Dettori's mount is one of ten runners in the £460,000 Juddmonte International and is fancied to come out on top in what promises to prove a fascinating tactical battle.

Last week's torrential rain and the last couple of dry days look likely to leave the Knavesmire ground - officially good to soft - in a sticky state. Such conditions will not inconvenience Sulamani, a mature top-notch international performer, who reserves his best for racing with juice in the ground.

His three efforts this season confirm him to be still up among the best. Fourth to Rakti at Royal Ascot, where he found the firm ground against him, he just failed to beat Bandari at Newmarket, again on less than ideal going, and latterly finished fourth to stablemate Doyen in the King George V1 And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot.

Although arguably at his best over 12 furlongs, tomorrow's extended ten furlongs under the prevailing conditions should be enough a stamina test for Sulamani to provide trainer Saeed Bin Suroor to saddle his fourth Juddmonte winner in ten years.

It won't, though, be easy. The unbeaten Bago comes from France with a tall reputation, while Cacique, narrowly beaten by that rival in the Grand Prix de Paris is another formidable rival. Add to that pair, Ireland's top-flight three-year-old Azamour, a brace of horses from the Aidan O'Brien stable, plus recent winners Kalaman and Norse Dancer from England, and what you've got is a first-day Knavesmire showpiece.

Sulamani to come out on top for Dettori is my idea of the outcome.

On what promises to be an excellent afternoon for Dettori and the Godolphin team, they can also land the Daily Telegraph Great Voltigeur Stakes with Rule Of Law.

Runner-up to North Light in the Dante Stakes on this course in May, and also second to him to Vodafone Derby, the three-year-old has the beating of Let The Lion Roar on both those performances.

Mick Kinane and John Dunlop, jockey and trainer of Let The Lion Roar, can, though, lift the Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup with Millenary.

An easy winner on this course in May, Millenary has the class to lift this Group 2 event, despite having to concede weight all round. He is awarded the nap vote.

Three of the other races may be won by horses from North Yorkshire.

Turnaround, trained by Lynda Ramsden, goes for the Irwin Mitchell Solictors Nursery Handicap and is worthy of support after a recent victory at Thirsk. John Egan has the mount.

Mark Johnston's Elliots World was hugely impressive when making a winning debut here six weeks ago and will surely be hard to catch in the National Stud Acomb Stakes, while Fantasy Believer, an unlucky runner-up in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood, has the Partington Haven Leisure Park Handicap on his agenda. His trainer John Quinn has sent out winners in each of the last two days.

Tuesday's tips:

York

1-20 Bagan, 1-50 Millenary (NAP), 2-25 Rule Of Law, 3-00 Sulamani, 3-35 Elliots World, 4-10 Turnaround, 4-45 Fantasy Believer

Hamilton

2-05 Merchant, 2-40 Bonjour Bond, 3-15 Encounter, 3-50 Carlton, 4-25 Kings College Boy, 5-00 Awesome Love, 5-30 Kid'z'play

There are no other meetings tomorrow.

Tom O'Ryan's Nap for this afternoon's racing was: Got To Be Cash 4.45 Nottingham

Updated: 12:09 Monday, August 16, 2004