Racing Chat - Saturday 26th August

[The Brigadier]

York 1.50

Nostrum will be very hard to beat here in this 9F Group 3 Strensall Stakes but I really couldn’t back one of Sir Michael Stoute’s at the moment as the stable have gone 21 runs and 29 days since their last winner. I’ll take him on with the Ralph Beckett trained four year old Jimi Hendrix who is only rated 3lb inferior to Nostrum on official ratings. He was an ultra impressive winner of the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot in June and wasn’t disgraced since when third in Group company at Ascot behind Master Of The Seas. He looks the value bet here under Rossa Ryan.

 

JIMI HENDRIX 1 point win @ 5/1 bet365

 

Goodwood 2.05

Ten two year old fillies turn up for the Group 3 William Hill Prestige Fillies’ Stakes run over 7F. With the most likely winner Shuwari a last minute defection due to injury this open looking contest may go to the Northern challenger Darnation who stepped forward from her debut run to run out an impressive 10L winner at Thirsk a month ago. The runner up that day has won since and Karl Burke's juvenile looks set to run a big race with Sam James in the saddle.

 

DARNATION 1 point each way @ 6/1 William Hill 1/5th 123 

 

 

York 2.25

A competitive ‘three year old’s Ebor’ is up next in the shape of the 1M 6F Melrose Stakes which has attracted thirteen runners. William Haggas has won two of the last four renewals of this famous handicap and is double handed today with Alhambra Palace and Lordship with preference for the latter who’s chasing a four timer following victories at Chepstow, Yarmouth and Haydock rising some 20lb in the weights. With Tom Marquand taking over from Adam Farragher he looks sure to run a big race and is the pick here.

 

LORDSHIP 1 point each way @ 5/1 Bet Victor 1/5th 1234

 

Goodwood 2.40

The William Hill Celebration Mile is a Group 2 contest run over a mile and with drying ground against the likes of Aldaary, Angel Bleu, Charyn and Knight may well fall to the John & Thady Gosden trained Epictetus who had Galeron ad Knight behind when beating the smart Nostrum over course and distance three weeks ago on soft ground. Unpenalised for that win and seemingly at home on any type of terrain he can follow up under Kieran Shoemark who can initiate a big race double at Goodwood today.

 

EPICTETUS 1 point win @ 3/1 William Hill

 

York 3.00

The Group 2 Sky Bet City Of York Stakes is run over the specialist trip of 7F and features eleven runners , six of whom ran in this last year and it can be last year’s victor Kinross who comes out on top once more with Frankie Dettori on top. He was a cosy winner last year on similar ground as today’s and even though Ralph Beckett’s six year old would prefer to get his toe in obviously handles fast ground. He was last seen at Goodwood 25 days ago when just touching off Brian Meehan’s Isaac Shelby and with that one preferring easier ground can confirm that form and win again.

 

KINROSS 2 points win @ 7/4 William Hill

 

York 3.35

The day’s/meeting’s feature race is the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap run over 1M 6F and has a maximum field of twenty two lining up. A warm favourite and one that has to be part of the staking plan is the 4lb well in Gosden runner Sweet William who is chasing a four timer following three cosy wins. He looks sure to go close though has ben priced accordingly. Top weight Live Your Dream has plenty going for him with ground, jockey (Oisin Murphy) and draw looking fine and he maybe the one to back each way with additional places. Saeed Bin Suroor knows what it takes to win this having won it twice before in 2012 with Willing Foe and 2008 with All The Good and he can a reward an each way wager with a stake saver bet on Sweet William.

 

SWEET WILLIAM 1 point win @ 7/2 William Hill

LIVE YOUR DREAM 1 point each way @ 9/1 bet365 1/5th 123456

 

York 4.10

A wide open 6F Heritage Handicap is up next with twenty speedsters spread across the straight track of the Knavesmire. The likes of Great St Wilfrid runner up and last year’s winner Summerghand, Stewards Cup winner Aberama Gold and beaten favourite in that race Orazio all have solid enough claims but the one that catches my eye is the track specialist Game Force Mayo who’s form figures here read 313113 and has dropped down to a winning mark. Drawn on the possibly favoured far side in stall six, Michael Dods’s seven year old was a bit disappointing last weekend in a listed race at Pontefract finishing fourth of 11 beaten 5 1/4L. She’s better than that and back on a mark 2lb lower than when winning here a year ago can run a big race each way with additional places.

 

GALE FORCE MAYO 1 point each way @ 10/1 bet365 1/5th 12345

 

[richard-westwood]

Ebor 

Live your dream     9.0 14.5

Hms president  8.9 19.0

Tough race as you'd expect but very good prices on betfair so I'll play the value bets 10pts win both