Connections believe that Haunted Dream will be victorious at York

Haunted Dream will be looking to improve on his impressive second-place finish at Royal Ascot as he moves back to handicap company for the John Smith's Cup at York on Saturday. Trained by Hamad Al-Jehani, Haunted Dream is one of 44 horses still in contention for the race.

Al-Jehani, a top trainer in Qatar, has set up a base in Newmarket for the summer and is overseeing a small string of horses for owners Wathnan Racing. Haunted Dream was unlucky to finish fourth at Epsom before running in the Wolferton Stakes at Ascot, where he performed well to secure a second-place finish.

Having recently secured his first UK win with Make Me King at Newcastle, Al-Jehani is eager to add a victory in the £200,000 John Smith's Cup to his record. Wathnan's racing adviser, Richard Brown, expressed confidence in Haunted Dream's abilities and looks forward to seeing him compete at York.

Trainer James Tate is also excited about the prospects of Flying Frontier, who will be running in the competitive handicap at York. Flying Frontier showed promise in a recent race at Sandown after a long layoff, and Tate anticipates further improvement from the horse.

Astro King, who narrowly missed out on victory in last year's John Smith's Cup, is expected to return this year carrying top weight. Owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid will also be represented by strong contenders Botanical from Roger Varian's yard and the Karl Burke-trained pair of Bolster and Liberty Lane.