Racing Chat - Friday 23rd August

[The Brigadier]

York 1.50

Day three of York’s Ebor meeting begins with the class 2 1M 4F Sky Bet Handicap with a field of thirteen. Shadow Dance is an interesting runner of Roger Varian’s who could do with a pick me up having lost one of his main owners Sheikh Obaid earlier in the week but may find the ground too fast and a better option maybe Andrew Balding’s Lieber Power who is officially 4lb well in today. The consistent Cracksman four year old was a course and distance winner back in July and only went down by a neck in a valuable Racing League handicap at Windsor last week under today’s pilot Oisin Murphy. Racing off of the same handicap mark he looks sure to be thereabouts in this competitive handicap.

 

LIEBER POWER 1 point each way @ 9/1William Hill 1/5th 1234

 

York 2.25

The Group 2 Weatherby’s Hamilton Lonsdale Cup is run over 2M 56 yards and has attracted a field of nine stayers.Best in at the weights is the Aidan O’Brien trained Point Lonsdale who’s stepping up in trip here today. He impressed at Chester in May over 1M 5 1/2F which is the furthest the five year has raced over and at his current odds is worth opposing with stamina doubts. The Gosden’s Gregory appreciated coming back to 2M when third to Kyprios in the Goodwood Cup last month but has a history of bleeding. Vauban is the other one at the head of the market but he too has stamina to prove at 2M even if he did finish fourth, beaten 9L, in the Ascot Gold Cup and it may just be worth opposing the front end of the market with Hughie Morrison’s seven year old Quickthorn. There doesn’t appear to be too much in the way of pace in the race (although Point Lonsdale can go forward along with Night Sparkle and Tashkan) and the race is maybe set up for Quickthorn who scored by 14L in this race when making all with a easy lead back in 2022. He’s yet to secure that easy lead that he seems to relish in two runs this season at Ascot and Sandown and he looks value especially if Tom Marquand can get him out in front.

 

QUICKTHORN 1 point each way @ 12/1 bet365 1/5th 123

 

York 3.00

A field of ten run in the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes run over 6F for two-year-old colts and geldings.There’s plenty of juvenile form from Goodwood on view with 25/1 Molecomb winner Big Mojo and Richmond second and fourth The Strikin Viking and Billboard Star in opposition. All have claims but it’s the Aidan O’Brien trained Camille Pissarro that appeals to me. His best run of four came last time out when chasing home Babouche in the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes at The Curragh in July. He only went down by half a length and with the winner going on to lower the colours of Whistlejack in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes next time out the form looks rock solid. At an each way price he can be backed win and place with Ryan Moore in the saddle for a team tat have been in blistering form already this week on the Knavesmire.

 

CAMILLE PISSARO 1 point each way @ 5/1 Betfred 1/5th 1234

 

York 3.35

An intriguing Group 1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes run over 5F has attracted a field of fourteen sprinters in which we have the third round of Australian speedster Asfoora against Big Evs which currently lies at one all. Their latest duel came in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood when Mick Appleby’s Big Evs came out best by the minimal of margins with Henry Dwyer’s Asfoora not getting the rub of the race in second. The Aussie horse is 6lb better off today and that should be enough to turn the tables and he looks the pick especially with Big Evs drawn on the wing in stall 14. Last year’s third Bradsell is the other one I like who is worth a small each way saver. He may not have been drawn that well when third last year and opened his season with a victory in listed company at Deauville earlier this month.

 

ASFOORA 1 point win @ 9/4 William Hill

BRADSELL 1 point each way @ 7/1 bet365 1/5th 1234

 

York 4.10

The last of five races covered by the ITV cameras is the 1M 2 1/2F Fillies handicap which has attracted a field of seventeen. There shouldn’t be much between the Goodwood one-two Al Anoud and Power Of Destiny with preference for the latter trained by Sir Michael Stoute who may have more improvement to come and should run a big race. Others with chances are the 2lb well in Shemozzle and Battle Queen who’s stepping up 2F in distance. The pin drops on Power Of Destiny though who is only having his fifth career start having won his maiden at Haydock in June and made a decent handicap debut when going down by a head to Al Anoud at Goodwood. Oisin Murphy was on board that day and retains the ride on the likeable Sea The Stars filly.

 

POWER OF DESTINY 1 point each way @ 5/1 William Hill 1/5th 12345

 

York 4.45

The most valuable maiden in the racing calendar is the class 2 British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden with a first prize pot of £51,540. Not surprisingly for the money there’s a maximum field of twenty declared. Thirteen of the 20 have raced before with the one that takes my eye the Ralph Beckett trained Angelo Buonarroti who was in the care of Raphael Freire for owners Amo Racing when making his debut in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot where he ran with plenty of credit for a debutant in finishing ninth, beaten just 3L. He was down to run at Goodwood but was pulled out on the morning with a vet’s certificate. With that run behind him he can take a step forward and take this maiden under David Egan. The biggest danger may come from Royal Varian’s Ultrasoul whose debut run when runner up in a Yarmouth maiden has worked out well.

 

ANGELO BUONARROTI 1 point win @ 7/2 bet365

 

York 5.20

The last race of seven on day three of this year’s York Ebor meeting is the class 2 three-year-old 1M Sky Bet Mile Handicap featuring nineteen runners. It has a wide open look about it but one horse who could be well treated on his handicap debut is the Roger Varian trained Dosman. A winner at Kempton on the all-weather he improved under a penalty 17 days later when third of 14 in a Newmarket novice stakes won by Ombudsman with Arabian Light in second spot. Both that pair have franked the form since by winning twice and are now rated 111 and 98 respectively. Even the fifth First Conquest has won a valuable handicap since and is now rated 98. Dosman was giving them all weight that day and his initial handicap mark of 97 could be lenient. A nice draw in stall 2 is another bonus and with Silvestre De Sousa riding looks one to be with each way.

 

DOSMAN 1 point each way @ 7/1 Ladbrokes 1/5th 12345

[ivans82]

Asfoora is by far the best horse in the Nunthorpe but Oisin Murphy will have to go for the line earlier than He did at Goodwood with the track a front runners paradise .Thought He was over confident there and don`t expect He will make that mistake again .

Edited August 21 by ivans82