Saturday's Meetings Killarney...............National Hunt 8 Races.......1:45-5:35p.m. Curragh.................Flat..................7 Races.......2:00-5:25p.m. York.......................Flat..................7 Races.......2:05-5:35p.m. Newmarket-July. Flat..................7 Races.......2:10-5:40p.m. Goodwood............Flat..................7 Races.......2:20-5:50p.m. Cartmel.................National Hunt 7 Races.......2:30-5:55p.m. Windsor(E)...........Flat..................6 Races.......5:10-7:45p.m. Redcar(E).............Flat..................6 Races.......5:30-8:00p.m. Racing Post Cards TIMEFORM Ebor Festival Preview TIMEFORM Scoop6 Preview Good Luck
2 for me tomorrow thus far. Will do write ups later on 2.55 Goodwood American Hope 7/1 3.50 York Ted Veale 20/1
These two would have been my picks of the day aswell, also in the Ebor I do like Van Percy if the ground is on the firm side or clever cookie if on soft side of good
PRICEWISE for DAYO 2:40 York Connecticut, Adventure Seeker 3:15 York Accepted 3:30 Good Chil The Kite
LIGHTSCAMERACTION 11-1 York 4:25 hosed up in eyecatching fashion on his Lingfield debut when he was extraordinarily well fancied for one from this yard. Ms Kelleway elected to take him to Deauville for his second run, a ploy she uses to good effect. He raced far too handily there though and tied up in what really was bottomless ground. Conditions tomorrow will be far more favourable and I am sure he will be ridden with a tad more restraint and will fufill the enormous promise that he showed on debut!
Cumani's Ebor Luca Cumani loves to ready one for this race and in Sir Walter Scott he has one. This horse is very lightly raced after being bought bought out of Ballydoyle. Everything points to a massive run and I feel this must be backed EW at the 14-1 available. It's also of note that Cumani has a number of highly rated horses he could have targeted at this race and yet he chose this one, it's also of note he has entered it in a group two at Ascot. It's always said that the Ebor like most of the very top handicaps need a group quality horse. We know Prescott feels he has just that in Pallisator but at 7-2 I can pass. Go with the Cumani horse Each way. Tote Ebor Sir Walter Scott 14-1 EW
I am very interested in this horse Stick after backing it on it's debut. My problem lies with it's prep. This is the type of race that needs targeting and not one you generally pick up as an afterthought. If GK thought he could win this then he should not have gone to France last week. It was a very tough race in very heavy ground and now it appears they are just hoping he is ready again. Had he not run last week I would be all over it after such an impressive debut. I am not put off by him not winning last week as the ground was poor and so form worth little, I am just upset that he ran.
Connecticut has improved for every step up in trip, could easily still be ahead of the handicapper at 12f but hes up to 14f today and should go in again to complete a 4 timer.
Fully understand the sentiments Bluesky. I think she was being greedy trying to pick up some easy loot, the prize money there is impressive. He looked an absolute picture in the preliminaries over there! Really like Sir Walter Scott too tomorrow, looks every inch a Cumani plot to my eyes!
York 2.40 Captain Morley 9/1 3.50 Wadi Al Hattawi 12/1 Good 5.50 Hooded 4/1 Hooded is the most confident ive been about one in a handicap since Pythagorean off 78 last season. If he gets beat in this off 80 I probably wont be on here for a while. Good luck lads.
Good card @ windsor tomorrow with Grandeur a nr the race seems to be Al Kazeems to loose at evens my money won't be on but I can see him going 4/6 if not shorter
3.50 York I'd fancy Dare To Achieve e/w. Haggas likes this one and was apparantly stunned when he got beat in his maiden (2nd start) by John Gosdens REMOTE, who we know is Group Class. Dare To Achieve has the right pedigree, is still lightly raced, and ought to have a good pace to aim at. The dam stayed a mile and a half herself and was sister to a couple of hurdle winnera- I think we could yet see improvement.
I used to be a regular at York’s Dante and Ebor meetings for twenty-five years and it was the same old story every year – win at the Dante meeting and give the bookies the money back at the Ebor meeting. I think I only went away from the old Ebor meeting winning on about three occasions. It is a bookies’ benefit and this year is not looking any different even though I only went to see Australia, my first visit since Frankel’s victory. On Saturday, I am definitely against the Ebor favourite Pallasator because it looks like the sort of good thing that gets turned over year after year in the race and the odds are pathetic. This used to be a race where the flyweight three year old would be gambled on and collect or one of the old-style gambles would be set up on the day. Anybody remember the likes of Deposki and Kneller? Hard to summon up much enthusiasm for any of the races at York, where the coach parties of boozy punters will ensure the bookies go home with bulging satchels.
2.55 Goodwood American Hope 15/2 I sat there in pure agony as American Hope was reeled in late on in a valuable handicap at Ascot over 1 mile on his last start and despite a 5lb rise in the weights I'm confident American Hope can earn justified compensation today by landing this big handicap prize at Goodwood. Having joined Mike Murphy's yard for 34,000 Guineas in February this year, American Hope was campaigned at Lingfield's AW track where he ran 4 fine races in defeat (his trainer correctly acknowledged from the outset that Lingfield's tight track didn't suit him but there weren't many races open to him) before being pitched in at the deep end on turf and handicap debut off a mark of 99 in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot as he ran an absolute blinder to finish 6th overall - but more pertinently he comfortably won his group drawn on the unfavoured side and I've no doubt he'd have gone incredibly close to winning had he been drawn on the advantageous side of the track. Nevertheless, the handicapper was kind to leave him on a mark of 99 and that contest's form has been franked time and time again. This long striding individual was clearly ideally suited to Ascot's galloping track and it's no surprise at all connections returned to that C+D on his next start where he was agonisingly beaten in the final strides by Mange All in a race I feel he was desperately unlucky to lose. Having sweated up in the prelims, American Hope pinged out from the gates and resultantly was unable to attain cover (which would definitely have been the plan) and for the first couple of furlongs he was quite keen under Shane Kelly. He did, however, find his stride at the 5f pole and when the field reached 3f out American Hope was still absolutely tanking along having hit the front and Kelly had absolutely no option but to send him for home at that stage. Having put a couple of lengths between him and the field, it looked for all money that American Hope would not be caught before he agonisingly ran out of gas late on to be claimed by Mange All with the pair nearly 3L clear of the rest of the field. There is absolutely no doubt in mind that American Hope, who shouldered the burden of top weight, was comfortably the best horse in the field that day and if he wasn't in front so long or wasn't keen in the opening stages of the contest he would have run out a comfortable and very deserving winner. That's racing, however, and things just didn't pan out ideally for American Hope that day but he emerged with a ridiculous amount of credit in my book as I personally think he did incredibly well to be beaten such a narrow margin having had a far from ideal trip and pre-race display. Some people may think the handicapper was harsh to raise him 5lb to a mark of 104 but I think he saw what I did which was he was the best horse in the race and although it must have pained connections to have learned of the rise I think the weight hike is completely justified. Having initially stated that Yesterday's City Of York's Listed Race was American Hope's target, I think it's interesting they've kept him to handicap company for this very valuable prize instead and I really hope it's the right decision. Up against his elders for the first time today, American Hope gets a 5lb weight allowance as a 3 year old and despite a lofty rating of 104 he gets a nice enough racing weight of 9-5 here today. Additionally, I think the drop back to 7f will suit American Hope no end as I think it is unquestionably his best trip. With an awful lot of front runners in the field, I have absolutely no doubt that they will be trying to get a lead for American Hope today as he could really do with the cover. Additionally, they should go a little faster over this furlong shorter which should also help him and I think the plan today will be for American Hope to hit the front with about 1f to go. Obviously given the idiosyncratic nature of Goodwood's unique course, there is no guarantee that American Hope will act on it but I see no reason why he won't. Hopefully he's a little less buzzy in the prelims today as you have to imagine he expelled a bit of energy but I really think the key to American Hope is getting a lead into the race until around the furlong pole and I hope Mr Kelly can execute what I would see as his ideal race tactics. The draw in stall 12 might be a little tricky but he should be able to track likely front runner Related from stall 9 and get a nice tow into the contest. In my mind, American Hope is a Group horse in the making if continuing his improvement and I think another huge run is on the cards here today. Unlucky on his last two starts, American Hope undoubtedly deserves some compensation and I'm bullish that he'll do so today in fine style before going on to much bigger and better things. 3.50 York Ted Veale 20/1 Yesterday afternoon I sat their scratching my head at the price of Ted Veale as I simply couldn't understand why he was a 20/1 shot. A very talented all purpose animal, Ted Veale is probably best known for his exploits under National Hunt rules with a hurdle win at last years Cheltenham Festival but he has also looked a stayer with terrific potential in his burgeoning flat career and I've no doubt that the shrewd Tony Martin has had Europe's richest flat handicap on the cards for one of his stable stars. With only 5 flat starts in his career to date, Ted Veale's last flat start actually came in this very contest one day short of a year to the day when he ran an absolute blinder in 4th off only a 1lb lower mark despite a far from ideal preparation and less than ideal conditions. Sent off 9/2 favourite last year, Ted Veale had to run 3 days prior to last season's Ebor as he needed a penalty to get into the race and for all that he won snugly at Bellwestown when attaining that penalty it would be foolish not to assume that it at least took the edge of him in his quest for York glory. Additionally, last year's race took place on soft ground that certainly would certainly be a big disadvantage for Tony Martin's charge and I think to finish as well as he did was a massive performance. Unlike last year, Ted Veale has not had to run to get a quick penalty like last year and he proved his well being when winning a Beginners Chase at the Galway Festival 20 days ago and I've no doubt the outstanding Martin will have him absolutely spot on for this. Given the standard of entrants has increased this year, Ted Veale still only barely scraped into the field as joint bottom weight and I'm sure his yard will be delighted by that. In the plate today is the outstanding Sean Corby who can claim 5lb off his back and resultantly Ted Veale will line up today with just 8-10 on his back. Additionally, Ted Veale is set to get much more suitable good ground conditions this year and I'd be stunned if he is not primed to run a huge race. Stall 5 might be a little tricky in this hugely competitive 20 runner handicap but I have absolutely faith in the ability of 16 year old Corby who has impressed me no end on track and who has recently shown his ability to perform in the big races with 2 wins at the Galway Festival earlier this month. With a much better prep, with conditions in his favour, with his young rider's 5lb claim worth its weight in gold in this staying race and off a mark I'm sure he's well capable of winning, I just cannot see how Ted Veale will not run a huge, huge race and if getting the run of things I think this 7 year old has superb chance of bringing Europe's richest handicap prize home to Ireland.
2:55 Goodwood - Heavy Metal 7/1 3:50 York - Elidor 25/1 3:55 Newmarket - Alben Star 15/2 5:00 York - Maven 20/1 My main fancies today
If you just missed it, make sure you catch up with The Morning Line on Channel 4+1 to see Clare Balding and Frankie get soaked in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge yesterday. They nominated Nick Luck who graciously took 6 buckets live at the end of The Morning Line, where he nominated the winning jockey and trainer from this afternoon's Ebor. To donate to the Motor Neurone Disease Association text ICED55 £5 to 70070
Yesterday at the York Ebor meeting was memorable for Sole Power's amazing win in the Nunthorpe, the gaps appeared just in time (if he got beat, would've been more a case of an unlucky loser than a bad ride by Hughes IMO). Dermot Weld travelling to York yesterday was a tip in itself but I doubt we'll see Pale Mimosa run in the Melbourne Cup. Pallasator being favourite for today's Ebor reminds me of Pasternak winning the 1997 John Smith's Magnet Cup at York for the same trainer (was subject of a major gamble for both that and 1997 Cambridgeshire, wonders who backed him in both races!). Small bets for me on Pallasator and Mighty Yar (who never does anything in a hurry so will benefit from a step up in trip back to 1m6f - Dettori rides so bound to do a flying dismount if he wins!). But I reckon Pallasator will do a Pasternak in today's Ebor for Sir Mark Prescott! Clare Balding really enjoyed the Ice Bucket challenge yesterday, didn't she?
