Neil Morrice brings us all of his best bets and tips for Thursday’s racing taking place at Day 2 of the York Ebor Festival, including video analysis. He also gives his top picks for the racing action at Chester and Windsor!
YORK EBOR FESTIVAL DAY 2
Race 1: SKY BET LOWTHER STAKES (Group 2)
No7 – SACRED
Trainer: William Haggas – Jockey: Tom Marquand
Yorkshireman Haggas has a good record in this and fields a worthy favourite in SACRED, who should greatly enjoy this step up to six furlongs. The Exceed And Excel filly impressively landed the spoils on her debut at Newmarket and followed that by giving Prix Morny- bound Campanelle a fright in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot. A big field assembles for the prize with the Ken Condon-trained MISS AMULET firmly in the mix. The grey has shown she can handle cut in the ground, taking out a Listed contest at Naas last time, but needs to raise her game if she’s to beat Sacred. Princess Margaret Stakes first and second SANTOSHA and HALA HALA HALA offer stronger competition, having been separated by three-quarters of a length in that Ascot Group 3 over today’s trip. Previously Santosha ran the ultra-smart a Dandalla to that margin in the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket. She’s a credit to trainer David Loughnane and rates the main threat to the selection.
Prediction
1st SACRED
2nd Santosha
3rd Hala Hala Hala
4th Miss Amulet
Race 3: No8 – SOLID STONE
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute – Jockey: Ryan Moore
A high draw helped bring about the downfall of SOLID STONE in the John Smith’s Cup here last month, but over this reduced distance on easier ground it might be a different story for this talented Shamardal gelding, even though he will have to break from stall 19 of 20. He showed plenty of pace when scoring at Sandown in June and in the circumstances did well to weave his way into a midfield finishing position last time. Most importantly, his recent work has been of a high order.
Race 4: DARLEY YORKSHIRE OAKS (Group 1)
No5 – LOVE
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Ryan Moore
With Enable waiting for the September Stakes, the best distaffers’ race of the season is at the mercy of LOVE. The Coolmore filly rocketed to the forefront of the Arc betting after strolling home in the Investec Oaks and is a towering presence over her five rivals. FRANKLY DARLING is one of two Gosden substitutes for Enable and among three Frankel fillies in the field. After smoothly taking out a Group 2 over this trip at a Royal Ascot she was no match for Love at Epsom, finishing almost ten lengths in the wake of that rival. FRANCONIA showed her liking for this course by easing home in the Musidora Stakes. She’s bred to enjoy the step up to a mile and a half and also to enjoy any cut in the ground, as she’s out of a Pivotal mare. ONE VOICE failed by just a neck to master Fancy Blue in the Group 1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, form which looks ultra-strong, and rates the main threat to Love.
Prediction
1st LOVE
2nd One Voice
3rd Franconia
4th Frankly Darling
Race 6: No7 – BONNYRIGG
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Oisin Murphy
This is one of the hottest nurseries seen so far, featuring a clutch of in form juveniles and a big stretch between the top of the weights and the bottom. Respect is afforded to the likes of Star Of Orion, Mark Of The Man, and Mayaas but BONNYRIGG can eclipse them all. Balding has played a patient game with the Zoffany colt since his decisive conversion at Newmarket, and he’s the type to do well in the top nurseries between now and the end of the season.
CHESTER
Race 4: No5 – HEREBY (Nap)
Trainer: Ralph Beckett – Jockey: Harry Bentley
After a fair effort in the Goodwood Cup, Spanish Mission will be a warm order for this Listed prize, but with testing underfoot conditions in the offing preference is For HEREBY. You can’t get a more easy ground-laden pedigree than a filly by Pivotal out of a Hernando mare and Hereby, a prolific scorer last season, will be a deal sharper for her comeback third to Manuela De Vega at Haydock. She numbers a Listed race triumph in soft ground at Ascot amongst her triumphs and could well show herself to be better than that as we move to the end of the season.
Race 6: No1 – BARBILL
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: Franny Norton
Channon looks to have found the right man for BARBILL in Norton, who rides the tight Roodeye turns as well as any jockey. The top weight landed some good bets when returning from lockdown at Haydock, but found underfoot conditions too quick when finishing down the field in the Stewards’ Cup. From the rail, he needs to get out and settle into a looming position close to the pace, from which he can swoop to conquer in the short home straight. He’s remained in good order since Goodwood and will enjoy any cut in the ground.
Race 9: No1 – FUTURE INVESTMENT
Trainer: Ralph Beckett – Jockey: Harry Bentley
Beckett excels with his staying horses at this track and FUTURE INVESTMENT has strong claims under top weight in the nightcap. He’s put in two very solid efforts from as many starts this season and now stretches out to two miles for the first time.
WINDSOR
Race 5: No6 – DANCING JO
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: George Bass
Having needed his comeback from a long absence here, DANCING JO should be spot on for this mile handicap run in ideal conditions for the gelding. He was one of the first to come under a drive that day but stuck on well for a frame finish. He’s tightened up for it and looked in good heart in his final stretch for this.
Race 8: No4 – BRUTALAB (Nap)
Trainer: Tim Easterby – Jockey: Ella McCain
Easterby is a rare visitor to this riverside course, which is a tip in itself for BRUTALAB. The four-year-old got the job done on his third run of the campaign at Hamilton and shouldn’t mind stretching back up to a mile and a quarter as connections seek to strike while the iron’s hot.
