I cannot say that I would be getting in the car to go to York for today’s card and that is not just the cost of petrol. A six runner juvenile novice, a 22 runner sprint handicap and two handicaps to close the card with a lot of double-digit prices in the betting make no appeal.
The Musidora features six and a couple of those look easy to discount as contenders. I hope the connections of Della Pace enjoy their day at the races but their filly has no chance on form and £1,755 for sixth probably won’t cover their costs. Ralph Beckett’s K Sarra is a sister to last year’s Dante winner but that one failed to go on and she was out with the washing in the Fred Darling making this look a big ask. Sea The Storm has changed yards since finishing runner up in a German Group 3 last term and she just beat a stablemate at Wetherby last time over this trip when 4/9 favourite. Ballydoyle are represented by Moments Of Joy who finished sixth on her seasonal return, just behind Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Cameo. So will she come on enough for the race? She ended her juvenile campaign finishing fifth in the Fillies’ Mile; however, two lengths ahead of her that day was Legacy Link, who the bookies make favourite to collect today. The other runner, Felicitas, comes from the ‘could be anything’ bucket after supplementing her 2025 win on the kitty litter with a Sandown novice at this trip three weeks ago.
I guess that the 3.30 was renamed the Minster Stakes when ‘Prince’ Andrew was stripped of its former title. This year’s renewal looks competitive but arguably the best two in the race are penalised Haydock Sprint Cup winner Big Mojo and the runner up that day Kind Of Blue; however, both of them are on their seasonal return and presumably being targeted at Royal Ascot. If I was looking for something to run well at decent odds that would be Jim Goldie’s American Affair as he won first time out last term; however, he has not been seen since winning the King Charles III at Royal Ascot and was down the field in the 2024 Ayr Gold Cup when last running at this trip.
The handicap at 2.20 looks more like a betting prospect: decent sized field with a small number of outsiders and a favourite that is short-priced because of where it lives. It looks impossible to make a case for King’s Code, out of the frame on his last four starts on the kitty litter and has not won on turf for over a year. French import Saint Etienne has failed to show any signs of life in two starts on these shores and there is no reason to think he will suddenly come good today. Prince Of The Seas was fifth of six on his first start for David O’Meara and now has cheekpieces fitted. Dark Moon Rising was last seen on turf running second here over ten furlongs but has failed to collect in four races on the kitty litter and is still 4lb higher than that York race. Fireblade had a warm up race at Pontefract and did win at this trip last April; however, seven of his subsequent eight races were over further so he is hard to fancy down in trip today. Will Scarlet is difficult to assess as his last four races were in Meydan, most recently winning at this trip two months ago. He could be the pace angle today under William Buick. Paddy The Squire won first time out last term and would be doing well to repeat that feat off a 20lb higher mark. Plage de Havre won the Old Newton Cup last year and disappointed in a Listed race on the kitty litter when returning; however, he cannot be discounted off topweight (still Timeform top-rated in the race) with his yard bang in form. Ralph Beckett’s Sing Us A Song returned with a respectable third in the five runner Great Metropolitan handicap at Epsom and would need to put in a career-best effort off today’s mark of 95, which is not impossible for a low-mileage four year old on only his ninth start. The favourite Klassleader looks a poor betting proposition because it comes from the Haggas barn. He was last seen chasing home Sing Us A Song at Haydock, which was only his fourth start, so some degree of improvement is to be expected plus he is 2lb better off with the winner for just three quarters of a length. I am going to take on this possible improver with David O’Meara’s first string, STRESSFREE. He was fourth in the Ebor, third in the Old Borough Cup and fifth in the November handicap having been second in this race (Plage de Havre third, Dark Moon Rising seventh, King’s Code eighth) last year. This year the warm up race was at Ripon, where he was hampered but ran on to finish second. Hopefully he will avoid traffic trouble for Danny Tudhope on the Knavesmire.
