Boreas is as short as 6 to 1 to give Luca Cumani successive victories in the Tote Ebor at York next month. But last year's winner, Vicious Circle, is far from certain to attempt a repeat success for his trainer.
Cumani has three horses among the 87 entries for the £175,000 contest. Vicious Circle has been set to carry 9st 9lb; Boreas, a winner at York earlier this month after a 654-day absence from the track, will have 8-9; and Seek, fifth behind Eminence Grise in the Foster's Silver Cup over the Ebor's course and distance last time out, is on 8-0.
The trainer reports Boreas as being "fine" following his York success but doubts surround the participation of Vicious Circle and Seek.
"It would be very unlikely that I'd run all three," Cumani said. "At the moment, the most likely is Boreas."
Vicious Circle is set to make his seasonal debut in the Glorious Tioman Island Rated Stakes at Goodwood on Friday week. But the task of carrying 9st 9lb at York seems likely to rule out a repeat bid for the Ebor.
A strong Irish entry includes Aidan O'Brien's Urban Ocean (912), Dermot Weld's trio Quality Team (8-13), Hirapour (8-13) and Media Puzzle (8-12), and the Declan Gillespie-trained Piranesi (8-9).
Godolphin have one possible for the race, the four-year-old colt Nowrass (9-5).
