Thursday's Meetings York Flat 7 Races 1:50-5:20p.m. Lingfield Flat 6 Races 2:00-4:55p.m. Newton Abbot N/H 7 Races 2:10-5:35p.m. Killarney(E) N/H 8 Races 4:32-8:07p.m Leopardstown(E) Flat 7 Races 4:50-7:55p.m. Chelmsford(E) A/W 8 Races 5:30-9:00p.m. Newcastle(E) A/W 7 Races 5:45-8:45p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
The winner of the 2.20 at York will earn nearly as much as the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner did. £338,821.00 for winning a 2YO conditions race - absolutely ridiculous and I've never understand why so much money is pumped into these "millions" race series.
My guess is that the Ladies’ Day card has started with the Lowther Stakes (1.50) in order to keep the fillies away from the colts that comprise most of the field for the Goffs Sales Race (2.25) that follows. America Queen won on debut seven weeks ago by 12 lengths, so the booking of Ryan Moore leads to the conclusion that she is well regarded. Her Timeform rating today of 107p is third highest in the race. Argentine Tango was runner-up in the Molecomb but has won over six furlongs and has enough form to give her a chance if the unexposed types fail to deliver. Come On Eibhlin (nice play on words ‘Come On Eileen’) debuted in the Queen Mary then won an ordinary Windsor novice so she needs to show more here. Dandana has won both starts at Kempton and Ripon but is another who needs to step up on the bare form; however, she looks like a possible front runner here as she made all for both her wins. Mood Queen, in the same colours as America Queen, won a maiden at HQ on her second start but was last in the Duchess Of Cambridge suggesting that she might be up against it today. Pearl Fortune won a small race at Beverley over five on debut but was second to Dandana at Ripon when favourite with no obvious reason to believe she will reverse that running. Royal Fixation won on debut at Thirsk and was a close second in the Duchess Of Cambridge making her the form pick with 5lb to spare on Timeform ratings. Secret Hideaway was a 33/1 upset winner of the five furlong Listed Marygate Stakes in May but was out with the washing at Royal Ascot and third last at Deauville making her an unlikely winner unless she springs another long odds shock. Staya was runner up in the Princess Margaret but gave the front running winner far too much of a lead. She is reunited with previously successful jockey Callum Shepherd today and ought to have a live chance if not given too much to do. Also in the America Queen colours is Timeforshowcasing, winner of two novices at Chelmsford and Newbury; however, she will need to find a few pounds to get involved at this level but is another that might be forcing the pace early. Wor Faayth won a Hamilton maiden on her second start and her Listed race win at La Teste shows progress but is impossible to assess. The betting reflects the form of Ed Walker’s filly chasing home Venetian Sun at HQ but she would not be the first favourite upset in this in recent years so I am taking a chance that AMERICA QUEEN did not just beat trees at Haydock (that race has produced no winners). The Clipper Handicap (3.00) is often a wallet emptier for the punters and this year the bookies have decided that they are taking no chances with the William Haggas runner Bullet Point, joint topweight and runner up in the Royal Hunt Cup; and the Owen Burrows runner Remmooz, fourth in the Jersey Stakes and a course and distance winner when last seen. The Haggas front runner has an ideal draw but I would prefer the potential of the latter after just four starts; however, at the available prices I will pass on both, especially as the Haggas gelding could be one of those that becomes expensive to follow (was turned over at 5/2 in a 17 runner Ascot handicap last time). If running quickly after a Newbury second five days ago is not an issue, Leadman would be of interest but for being drawn nearly in Knavesmire Wood! The Yorkshire Oaks (3.35) has carved up to a field of just four despite there being prize money down to sixth and £340k for the winner. All of the foreign entries, including Arc runner-up Aventure, declined the race; which is bitterly disappointing. O’Brien withdrew all but one of his other entries (Ribbledale winner Garden Of Eden) to leave dual Classic winner Minnie Hauk presumably to attempt to make all. Qilin Queen was well down the field in The Oaks but collected a Group 2 across the Channel last time out and will collect at least £32k just for finishing the course. Estrange has won both her starts at Haydock this term and David O’Meara’s grey is clearly the most likely cause of an upset to the odds. Will Minnie Hauk go the way of Lambourn or consolidate her Arc odds? So the big race looks like one just to watch but the following Galtres Stakes (4.10) could be much more interesting. Apparently HM The Queen will be at York and there just happen to be two Royal runners in the field. Little Dorrit won a novice on the kitty litter at Kempton on her second start and will need to find quite a bit more in this hot race. Crepe Suzette has been second in a pair of handicaps since winning her maiden on the Wolverhampton kitty litter and is another that needs to improve markedly today. Five year old mare Rose Prick only has one career success on her CV and is now being tried over twelve furlongs, possibly in desperation. Karmology was second in this last year and she consistently runs well at this level but, once again, she will surely find one or two too good for her. Lady Vivian won a handicap on the Roodeye back in May and ran a fair race in the Ribblesdale but has not been seen since, so she may need this on the way to something else. Alice Monet has won her last two starts from the front, a small claimer and a small handicap and now steps up two furlongs and in class but her shrewd trainer clearly thinks she has ability as he does not send them across to Yorkshire just for the weather! William Haggas provides one of the Royal runners with the twice-raced Aeolian, easy winner of a novice at HQ last time from the front and now stepped up in class and distance. The betting might give some indication of how much she is fancied against the other Royal runner, the favourite Rainbows Edge, runner-up in a ten furlong Listed race here just ahead of Charlotte’s Web. That looks like the key form race today but which of those fillies will improve the most for two more furlongs? Both of those fillies like to be near the pace and that will probably come from Alice Monet and/or Aeolian, so I am expecting a Royal winner and going with the form in the book of RAINBOWS EDGE over the potential of Aeolian.
In fairness, the prize money comes from the 2024 Goffs yearling sale where all the runners were bought. So, just like the Newbury Super Sprint, the owners are hoping that they picked up a horse good enough to win this on the cheap. As we know, what usually happens is that some shrewd pinhooker has picked up a decent horse at a bargain price and it will go off a short price to bag the pot while half the field will start 20/1 or more and be at the horses in training sales in the autumn to be exported to places like Hong Kong. Obviously this sort of race cannot realistically be done over the sticks unless someone arranged a sale of three year olds and then waited until the new year and had a race open to four year olds bought at that sale.
Day 2 Ebor picks 1:50 - American Queen, 15/8 2:25 - Song of the Clyde, 15/2 * 3:00 - Remmooz, 4/1 3:35 - Estrange, 5/2 4:10 - Rainbow Edge, 5/2 4:50 - Hengroin, 14/1 * 5:20 - Silver Ghost, 8/1 * Not the most inspiring of picks but i think its gonna be a tough day today... The * ones carry that extra burden of my money, so who knows...!! Good luck if you are having a play today...
Your must be spitting feathers... The Premier race meeting (IMO) and 4 runners here, 6 there.... they dont attract horses with prize money, colts anyway, its about adding a race to their CV. Salt the money away and make a decision as to what to do with it...
I know this sounds wrong but another disappointing day at York as the ‘form’ filly beat the ‘potential’ filly in the Lowther – so a bad call by me going for the latter over the former. Only time will tell us whether this was a good renewal of the race. The runner up could still be the one with more potential. It was the start of a good day for Ed Walker’s runners. The Yorkshire Oaks went to form as Minnie Hauk proved to be the 6lb better than Estrange that she was on the Timeform ratings before the race, although the race did tell us that the dual Oaks winner does not have to make the running, which could be useful if she ends up being added to the Arc field. Sadly The Queen was not able to welcome either of the Royal runners to the winner’s enclosure after the Galtres Stakes as Charlotte’s Web reversed previous course form with Rainbows Edge; and Aeolian pulled too hard and was out with the washing at the business end of the race.
