Wednesday sees day one of the Ebor Festival kick off at York and we give our York ITV Racing tips for a top-class opening day live TV line-up.
The latest big summer festival of horse racing action kicks off on Wednesday with the first day of the York Ebor Festival and seven races in all will go to post including the Group One Juddmonte International.
The ITV Racing team will be on hand again at the Knavesmire to deliver armchair viewers all their usual expert tips, insights and post-race analysis on the pick of the day’s action with five races being shown live on Wednesday. Brian Healy looks over the day one racecard and the day’s TV racing to give his own York ITV Racing tips for the day’s TV line-up.
YORK ITV RACING TIPS – DAY ONE SELECTIONS
1:45 York – Sky Bet And Symphony Group Handicap Cl2 (3yo+ 0-105) 5½f
A competitive race to get things started and one which could go the way of JUSTANOTHERBOTTLE who ran really well when last seen finishing a close third at Ayr back in June.
Kevin Ryan has a good record in this contest and the Intense Focus gelding was having just his second start for this yard following a switch from Declan Carroll, for whom he had won six times in his career and finished ninth in this twelve months ago although not beaten far.
He’s only 2lbs higher in the weights this time around but he’s placed from higher ratings in the past and arrives fresh having been given time to recover from those exertions latest.
The form of his last run is working out quite well with the winner and runner-up both scoring again since and while he possibly just needs to find a shade more it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him competitive again.
2:15 York – Tattersalls Acomb Stakes (Group 3) Cl1 (2yo) 7f
ROYAL SCIMITAR looked one to follow when making a winning debut at Newbury in July and Clive Cox’s charge can build on that performance to strike here and double his tally.
The Territories colt ran green early but soon hit his stride, travelling well into the contest before readily asserting. That form has been significantly boosted with the runner-up winning both his subsequent starts, while the fourth and fifth horses home have both gone on to record subsequent wins of their own.
He looks sure to progress on the back of that solid debut effort and he may prove a smart prospect so every chance he can take this step up in class in his stride to make a winning bid and extend his perfect record.
Our York ITV Racing tips features a runner from the Clive Cox stable.
2:45 York – Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2) (Colts & Geldings) Cl1 (3yo) 1m4f
MOGUL probably needed the run when disappointing behind the reopposing Pyledriver on his reappearance in the King Edward VII Stakes and Aidan O’Brien’s charge can gain revenge here.
The Galileo colt finished ahead of that same rival when the pair clashed in the Epsom Derby with the Ballydoyle runner finishing sixth and resumed winning ways when last seen beating a couple of these rivals at Goodwood in the Gordon Stakes, winning a shade readily.
The strong pace that day probably suited and he’s likely to get similar again with front-running Subjectivist in opposition once more. That one was behind the selection at Goodwood but lost no caste in defeat, but he probably needs a shade more if he’s to overturn the form.
The O’Brien runner though can confirm that recent form and may have more yet to offer as a stayer and with a 3lbs pull with Pyledriver – who had had a run – from their Ascot encounter the Ballydoyle representative is taken to come out on top this time.
3:15 York – Juddmonte International Stakes (British Champions Series) (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m2½f
A strong renewal despite the race cutting up a little; Ghaiyyath rates the one to beat after his Coral Eclipse defeat of Enable, while Kameko tries this longer trip for the first time. It could be worth chancing though on LORD NORTH to find another chunk of improvement and John Gosden’s charge can continue his ascent up the ladder to stamp himself as one of the season’s leading middle distance campaigners.
The Dubawi gelding has gone from strength to strength, winning last season’s Cambridgeshire Handicap before stepping up to this trip with a win in Listed company to end his campaign. He’s continued his progress this season, striking a Group Three win at Haydock before readily seeing off Addeybb and others to claim his first Group One with success in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.
Despite racing keenly he overcame a troubled passage to show a good turn of foot and he quickly put four lengths between him and the runner-up in a race that also featured Barney Roy and Japan. This is probably a shade tougher and he likely needs to find another jolt of progress; but he’s clearly improving and ought to have this contest run to suit so he can pick off the trailblazers late and no surprise if he dents a few reputations here.
Lord North heads our York ITV Racing tips in the day one feature.
3:45 York – Sky Bet Handicap Cl2 (3yo+ 0-105) 2m½f
MONSIEUR LAMBRAYS has improved since stepping up in trip and having a visor applied, winning over 1m 6f at Salisbury last month and finding another jolt of progress to strike at this distance two weeks on over this course with a defeat of Red Royalist.
Tom Clover’s charge won a shade readily that day, running on well to register a near-two lengths’ defeat of the runner-up with the pair pulling clear. That runner-up has run well since over hurdles and there could be more to come from him over this longer trip where he’s unexposed.
An 8lbs rise for that last success will demand another jolt of improvement from him in a more competitive contest; but he can continue his progress as a stayer and can get involved again if the visor continues to have a positive effect. He’s 2-2 in that headgear and every chance he can make his presence felt again with course and distance winning form to his credit.