What a great York Ebor Festival. It just gets better each year! I was there on Thursday and Friday. I don’t think I have ever seen the parade ring at York, as full before after a race, as it was on Thursday to see Enable.
York Ebor Festival Highlights
There were plenty of memorable performances and great races. Here are just a few of mine.
Battaash winning the Nunthorpe Stakes and in the process lowering Dayjur’s long standing course record.
The best stayer we have seen in a generation Stradivarius winning the ‘Million Pound Stayers” bonus for the second year running.
Enable winning for the last time on home soil and Frankie’s tears after the race.
The Richard Hannon trained Mums Tipple annihilating a big field in the sales race by a long looking 11 lengths on Thursday.
Irish eyes were smiling after the Ebor Handicap as Mustajeer fourth in last year’s race went three places better to land the ‘first million-pound Ebor’. The Ebor remains my favourite handicap of the flat season and with the prize money on offer it’s a race that will only continue to grow and grow.
On the betting front there was plenty of big priced placed efforts but apart from Mums Tipple the winners were more elusive than the Scarlet Pimpernel. Still it was a great meeting run on fast summer ground and one you must be part of.
Weekend Betting Preview
Another big festival is done and dusted and we are almost in a new month, September and according to meteorologists a new season, autumn.
This weekend’s racing can’t compete with last Saturday’s offerings but there is two-day meeting at Sandown with the highlight being the Group 3 Solario Stakes for the 2-year-olds. It’s race that has been won by the likes of Too Darn Hot, Masar and Kingman since 2013. Normally an informative race if the main contenders stand their ground then this year’s renewal looks up to standard.
Over the Irish Sea the Curragh hosts one of it’s new Friday evening cards. The highlights of the meeting are three Group 3 contests and the Tote Irish Cambridgeshire. Add in a potentially competitive Chester card on Saturday and we have the makings of some decent racing and plenty of betting opportunities.
The weekend’s most valuable race isn’t on ITV racing as it’s the centrepeice of Chelmsford’s Saturday evening card with over £100,000 on offer in prize money for the Chelmsford City Cup a handicap over 7f, which carries heritage handicap status for the first time in it’s short history.
Before all that, here’s this week’s review and there’s plenty to it. I have concentrated on York but there are honourable mentions for two horses that ran at Goodwood & Newmarket last Saturday.
Eyecatchers – w/e August 25th
York – Ebor Festival Day 1
The Ebor Festival got underway with the Sky Bet And Symphony Group Handicap over 5½f. Dakota Gold, who had won the Great St Wilfrid Handicap a few days earlier, defied his penalty to win again with a bit in handoff his rivals.
There were a few to take out of the race none more so than A Momentofmadness & Makanah.
A Momentofmadness, trained by Charlie Hills, showed up well for a long way to finish 6th of 22. This was his best form so far this year and he’s now 4lb lower than when an impressive winner of last years Portland Handicap a race, I have no doubt be aimed at again.
Makanah, trained by Julie Camacho, could also have next months Portland Handicap on his radar after his 4th placed effort here. He wasn’t the best away and did well to get a close as he did at the line. This was a career best effort from the 4-year-old, who’s is 8lb higher than his last winning mark.
Justanotherbottle, not for the first time was well backed to win, and not for the first time let his backers down. He didn’t run badly to finish 3 ¼ length off the winner in 9th and is a well-handicapped horse when on a going day. I see he has an entry at Sandown on Saturday, and it will be interesting to see if he takes up the engagement.
The Sky Bet Handicap over 2m½f attracted 17 runners. Eddystone Rock a winner at the Shergar Cup on his previous start showed once again how well suited he is to marathon trips with a narrow win. The Cesarewitch looks his next target and if he stays the extra two furlongs at Newmarket he must have a good chance of winning again.
In a race that suited the hold-up horses Rare Groove did best of those racing prominently in finishing runner-up.
Infrastructure, trained by Martyn Meade, also finished well from off the pace to take 3rd. The 4-year-old stays 2m and is unexposed over marathon trips. There are races in him over 1m 6f + off his present mark.
Melting Dew, who had run poorly on his first four starts this season put in a seasonal best in finish 4th on his first try at 2m. He’s 3 -4 in the all-weather but just 1-16 on the grass. Now 2lb lower than his last winning mark there is a race in him but he’s a hard one to catch right.
The Sky Bet Nursery Handicap over 6f concluded day one. It looked a tricky one on paper and just ½ length separated the first three home. Owney Madden battled on well to win by a neck from the Troubador who came into the race looking for a four timer. Both the winner & runner-up look capable of winning again.
Buhturi, trained by Charlie Hills, put in a eye-catching performance in 6th, beaten 4 ¾ lengths on his nursery debut. The colt, a full brother to the useful Ibn Malik who won over 7f as a 2-year-old, shaped her like he can be competitive of his handicap over an extra furlong.
York – Ebor Festival Day 2
Just the one race from day 2, the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap over 7f, a race which was won by Excellent Times at 66/1.
Clon Coulis, trained by David Barron, showed once again that she’s a better filly in a big field in finishing 8th of 19. The mare had only been beaten a nose in the Hunt Cup, off 2lb lower in June. Not so good on two subsequent starts. On quick ground she would have found 7f to short but she finished race off well, returned to a mile and chasing a strong pace will be ideal for the 5-year-old.
Lyzbeth, trained by Martyn Meade, finished just one place and a length behind Clon Coulis and can have her effort marked up. Her jockey had trouble removing her blindfold after the stalls opened and effectively lost all chance at the start. The 3-year-old has only had the four career starts, winning one of them but she looks on competitive looking mark and looks worth a go over a mile.
York – Ebor Festival Day 3
Two races for the notebook from Friday’s card, starting with Sky Bet Handicap over 1m4f which got proceedings underway. Tamreer was another big priced winner at 33/1 but she looked a worthy winner. The improving Caradoc finished well from off the pace in 3rd in a much hotter race than he had run in before. Gibbs Hill who had pulled up when last seen in the Northumberland Plate in action ran much better here to finish 4th of 16. The 6-year-old clearly hasn’t been the easiest to keep sound, just the nine career starts, and this was just his second start since September 2017. If, and its big if, he can build on this promise there are handicaps to be won with the gelding.
Jazeel, trained by Jedd O’Keeffe, ran a strange race on his first go at 1m 4f. He was one of the first to be pushed a long but stayed on into 9th. Jockey Jamie Spencer didn’t subject the 4-year-old to hard race inside the final furlong. The winner of last year’s Silver Cambridgeshire for his previous trainer. He’s been aimed at this years Cambridgeshire a race that should suit as he’s at his best in a strongly run race. Probably best to forgive this run and he remains high on my shortlist for the Cambridgeshire.
Fanaar, trained by William Haggas, who had finished 3rd of 28 in the valuable Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot, bounced back to form when 3rd of 16, behind Pogo, in the 3-year-old mile handicap. The race wasn’t run to suit the hold-up horses, so he did well to get as close as he did at the finish. The geldings top three performances on Racing Post Ratings have now come in field sizes 14+.
Boston George, trained by Keith Dalgleish, was another who came from off the pace to dead heat for 6th at the line. The colt has yet to add to his Newcastle juvenile win so far this season but on the evidence of this run and his 3rd placed effort at Ayr on his previous start. He shouldn’t be waiting to long for another win especially when dropped back in class.
I’m not having much luck with my juvenile eyecatchers but here’s one anyway from the Convivial Maiden Stakes.
Pot Of Paint, trained by Tom Dascombe, belied his 66/1 odds to finish 4th of 14, behind Molatham on his racecourse debut. The three horses that finished ahead of him, all had the benefit of a previous run. He ran green from the start but once the penny dropped, he finished his race off well. His half brother won over a mile so this 7f would be a minimum for the colt who has the scope to make a good 3-year-old but can probably win a maiden before the season is out.
York – Ebor Festival Day 4
The Melrose Handicap over 1m 6f is now effectively the 3-year-old’s Ebor and it’s also a ‘win and you’re in’ race for next years Ebor Handicap.
This year’s winner was the William Haggas trained Hamish who improved for the step up to 1m 6f and will surely be aimed at next years big race. The runner-up First In Line, trained by John Gosden, is another colt going the right way and could be a Group horse in the making. Third home was the Sir Mark Prescott trained Land Of Oz. A winner over 2m he was beaten by two horses with more speed and needs further to be seen at his best. One can easily see him being a future Cesarewitch contender.
The final two handicaps on the final day looked interesting. The John Gosden trained, Forest Of Dean built on his recent Goodwood success with a decisive win in the 1m 2 ½ f handicap. The colt remains on the upgrade and looks a Cambridgeshire horse. Fourth home Rise Hall, trained by Martyn Meade, will have entered plenty of notebooks after this run. He had looked on a competitive mark despite going up 3lb for a recent Newmarket win. The 4-year-old came from off the pace and making his effort on the far side which wasn’t the most favoured part of the track. His progress may not have ended and he’s one to keep on the right side of going forward.
The 5f Class 2 apprentice race than concluded the meeting was interesting with the future in mind. The winner, Que Amoro defied a 10lb rise in the weights for a previous C&D success. The 3-year-old clearly goes well at York and could turn out be a pattern race filly.
Previous eyecatcher Moss Gill was a warm order to follow up his recent Newmarket second placed effort but didn’t have the speed of the winner. A return to 6f should see him back in the winner enclosure.
Roulston Scar, trained by Kevin Ryan looks the one to take out of the race. The 3-year-old was just a short head back in third. He was also dropping down from 6f and like the runner-up he couldn’t match the winners early speed on quick ground. A winner on soft ground at Pontefract on his previous run. His best performances came off a 60+ day’s break so he goes well fresh, but you would expect his trainer to be now looking at race at Ayr’s Western Meeting for the gelding.
Pass the Vino, who had just finished head of Moss Gill at Newmarket continues to run well. He did best of those drawn high and won’t mind a return to 6f either.
Other Eyecatchers
Saturday August 24th
Goodwood
Cliffs of Capri, trained by Jamie Osborne, who had run well at Meydan during the winter, posted another solid effort at Goodwood to finish 4th to Salute the Soldier in the 7f handicap. The 5-year-old was very much in contention on the inside furlong out but didn’t get a run when he needed it. He’s just 1lb higher than for his last win at Ascot over 7f last October, a track he goes well at. A return to Ascot’s straight course seems likely, a track his trainer has a good record at with older handicappers.
Newmarket
Themaxwecan, trained by Mark Johnston, finished runner-up to Saroog in the 1m 6f Class 2 handicap. The 3-year-old came into the race on the back of a win over 2m at Ascot. Up 4lb from Ascot he showed again what a good battling attitude he has. A typical tough Mark Johnston. He’s only had the nine start and remains open to plenty more progress over 2m +. Mark Johnston has won the Cesarewitch four times during his career and Themaswecan looks an ideal horse for that historic staying handicap, either this year or next.
I wouldn’t expect you to put all the above in your trackers, of course you can, but there should be plenty of winners among them.
Cheers
John