Amy Murphy taking on Sun Goddess with prolific Tokaido

Amy Murphy is keen to see just how good Tokaido might be when he takes his place in the Harry’s Half Million By Goffs at York on Thursday.

The Ubettabelieveit gelding has yet to run outside of France, where Murphy relocated to full-time from Newmarket last year.

He was a one-and-a-quarter-length second to Say Squirrel on debut at Saint-Cloud, but reversed that form at Chantilly when winning the first of four on the trot, highlighted by the Group Two Prix Robert Papin.

But he is now going in search of prizes further afield, starting with the richly-endowed sales race where he will come up against Aidan O’Brien’s Group One-winning filly Sun Goddess, fresh from her Phoenix Stakes victory earlier this month.

Murphy said: “He’s in great from and we’re very very happy with him. He’s had a very good season, but it’ll be a big difference going there with the field size and everything, even a race meeting – he will never have seen anything like he’s going to see on Thursday.

“It’ll be a hot race and I was surprised to see Sun Goddess there to be honest, but we’re very happy with our lad and he couldn’t have done much more than he’s done so at least we’ll find out how good he is.

“He’s very straightforward and he’s a real Laid Back Larry so tactics wise he’s very versatile.”

Just short of £250,000 is on the table for the winner on the Knavesmire and following this a trip to Keeneland and Breeders’ Cup is on the agenda for the Juvenile Turf or Juvenile Turf Sprint, with Murphy adding: “The Breeders’ Cup is his target.”