Day two of the Ebor meeting is no less competitive than the last. Matty Sutcliffe has scoured the cards, with a 100/1 headline selection among five in all.
1:50 York – Sky Bet Lowther Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (2yo) – Betty Clover 10/1 1pt EW 3 places
BETTY CLOVER has five lengths to find with Leovanni on the Queen Mary form, but she was potentially unsuited by being caught out on the wing of the nearside group in that contest whereas Leovanni was well positioned to the fore on the far-side group. Combine that with a 3lbs swing in the weights and the fact Leovanni hasn’t been seen since June, I’d expect the pair to be much closer this time around.
Betty Clover needed every inch of the five furlong distance when winning the Listed Marygate here in May, getting up close to home and hitting the line strongly. She fared the best of the closers there with the next four home all racing prominently throughout, and Miss Lamai gave substance to the form when beaten two lengths in the Queen Mary before taking a Listed contest at Naas last time out.
The daughter of Time Test produced a career best RPR when upped to six furlongs for the first time at Ascot in the G3 Princess Margaret Stakes, beaten a neck by Simmering who gave that form a huge boost when bolting up in a G2 over in Deauville last week. Considering Simmering was allocated a mark of 109 on the back of that success, that would put her the top rated in here which suggests Betty Clover is massively overpriced in here.
With natural progression over this trip to be expected, returning back to the scene of her last win makes her a confident selection in here with the race likely ran to suit and this sole course winner in the field can put that experience to good use for a yard who’s record in non-handicaps here read 15-4-5 (£14.60+) in the last five seasons.
2:25 York – Harry’s Half Million By Goffs Premier Yearling Stakes (GBB/IRE Incentive Race) (Class 2) (2yo) – Fear and Fast 100/1 0.5pt EW 4 places
Richard Hannon has farmed this contest in recent seasons so I wouldn’t put anyone off a token bet on An Outlaw’s Grace with Ryan Moore in the saddle, and in truth the top three in the market could prove unbeatable. But York has a funny habit of throwing up a shock result as it’s a tricky place for these two year olds to come, and there’s one toward the bottom of the market who is of minor each-way interest.
The dam of FEAR AND FAST won a 6F nursery at this meeting in 2015 before a taking a 19K fillies handicap on her reappearance in 2016, so I’d imagine York has always been the plan for Fear And Fast but he hasn’t quite been straightforward enough to rise up in the weights and be allowed a mark for a nursery here, so although he’s a mammoth task as the weights, he could prove much better than what we’ve already seen.
He showed plenty of speed and promise on debut at Doncaster over six furlongs, but was set back by evident greenness and used up all of his energy in the early part of the race before inevitably weakening late on in likely unfavourable soft going. There was excuses next time out when beaten eighteen lengths, as he took a big bump leaving the stalls and was knocked for confidence, immediately on the back foot from thereafter.
He then ran an excellent race at Beverley last week, beaten a length at 125/1 despite being outpaced over five furlongs. He weakened through the field at one stage, but kept on gamely despite still looking green and came home well behind a couple who’d already shown useful enough form. That form alone wouldn’t be anywhere near good enough to contend here, but there’s the suspicion that he’s got quite a bit of talent and his pedigree backs that up. With that better run under his belt from last time out, I wouldn’t be all that surprised should he improve markedly now going back up in trip on a speed favouring track with plenty of cover.
Tom Marquand is an eye-catching booking given he rode a winner for the yard earlier this month, and overall they’re 29-4-3 here with a profit margin of £40.00 to a £1 stake.
3:00 York – Clipper Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+) – Blue For You 10/1 1pt EW 5 places
BLUE FOR YOU has almost had a carbon copy season as he had last year when a beaten favourite in this contest, but he was awfully drawn in stall eighteen and only beaten five lengths off top-weight when covering more ground than any stuck out wide.
Like last season, he fared well on reappearance over a mile here in May before being comfortably beaten in the Royal Hunt Cup, but a consequential 4lbs drop in the weights and a plethora of punters money saw him easily win the John Smith’s Racing Handicap off a mark of 95. That form took a huge boost when the second took the coveted Moet and International Stakes Handicap next time out, and the 7th La Trinidad took a competitive event at Thirsk time out with plenty of the placed horses running well too.
Blue For You was beaten the exact distance he was in the Golden Mile this season as he was the last, finishing tenth again when taking a keen hold in rear and unsuited by that track position. As mentioned, he fared no chance from his draw in this contest last term but he’s far more favourably birthed in stall four now and 6lbs lower this time around. He bolted up by three lengths here off this mark last season and is only 3lbs higher than when winning this contest in 2022, so we’re surely likely to get a run for our money under regular rider Danny Tudhope.
4:10 York – British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1) (3yo+) – Satin 8/1 1pt WIN
Jessica Harrington is the only trainer to win this with a four-year-old in the last decade and in a weak looking renewal she’s taken to repeat that feat with SATIN.
The daughter of Australia progressed in handicaps like Forbearance, and posted a huge effort off top-weight in the Old Rowley Cup last October when four lengths the now 111 rated Alkasib giving him 6lbs. That came after winning an 80k handicap at Leopardstown in September, and both of those efforts would suggest she has the ability to make up into a listed level contender.
She was off the track for 306 days prior to being beaten a five length fourth of four at Gowran Park last week in what could only be described as a sighter for this. She was in rear throughout and never really put into the contest but that will have blown any cobwebs away and she looks a solid bet at the prices with Ryan Moore in the saddle, who won this on Haskoy in 2022.
4:45 York – sensory-junction.co.uk Autism Awareness EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap (Class 2) (2yo) – Jayvee 11/1 1pt EW 5 places
JAYVEE was a quietly confident bet at 100/1 for the Albany Stakes at Ascot last time out and fared better than her eventual finishing position and beaten distance suggested. She broke a touch slowly away and was outpaced in rear, but she kept on well suggesting this seven furlongs is worth exploring.
I think she’s absolutely chucked in off a mark of 79, too. She was two lengths ahead of the now 93 rated Convo in the Albany, but it’s more her three-length ninth in the Marygate that suggests she’s chucked in. Firstly, when tipping her up for the Albany, I noted that “She was detached by some way, but Danny Tudhope seemed comfortable enough to let her continue in her own rhythm and did remarkably well to be beaten just three lengths. We can upgrade her effort further given the action unfolded down the far-side and the near-side was riding dead for the meeting, and she clocked the quickest two final furlongs with a 102.70 finishing speed percentage.”The form of that has worked out well, with Betty Clover (1st) and Miss Lamai (2nd) both rated 97, Running Queen (3rd) rated 86, Bailey’s Jubilation (4th) rated 81 (opening mark was 84), Seraphim Angel (6th) rated 80 (opening mark was 82), Kaadi (7th) rated 93 (opening mark was 95), and It Aint Two (8th) rated 93.
Given we can upgrade Jayvee’s effort in rear, and with the suggestion she needs further, that effort marks her as particularly well handicapped off a mark of 79. She’s a half-sister to two with their top RPR’s over seven furlongs so she’s bred to get the trip that she visually suggests she needs, and last year’s winner had also finished 9th in the Albany before taking this on handicap debut.
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