The fourth and final day of what has been an incredible week at York where we have been treated to some unbelievable performances that will live long in the memory. It’s what this course produces time and time again and they get everything right.
It’s been an ok week on the punting front without pulling up any trees but let’s try and finish with a bang on the Knavesmire, while Sandown also features on ITV this afternoon.
2.05 SANDOWN – GRANDE DAME
The Group 3 Atalanta Stakes at Sandown looks at the mercy of John & Thady Gosden as they saddle the two market leaders, but it is GRANDE DAME and not Laurel who gets the vote.
As promising as Laurel is after her impressive Newmarket win against five rivals and holding a Group 1 entry next month, it is GRANDE DAME who has solid pattern form in the book and on just her fifth start here there is promise of plenty more to come. Her only blip came in the Coronation Stakes on her second start, but she impressed on debut at Ascot when beating two previous winners and had a subsequent Group 3 winner in fourth when devouring the Sandown hill here on Eclipse Day. She beat the admirable Oscula by over three lengths that day and she has gone on to a pair of Group 3 victories since. That effort saw her awarded an official mark of 105 so it is some standard for Laurel to aim at.
Fonteyn did get the better of Grande Dame at York in May but I think if Frankie had that ride back he would have kicked sooner and should really have had Fonteyn’s measure. I expect the form to be turned round convincingly in a race this trio of 3yos should fight out at the expense of the older brigade.
2.25 YORK – INVERNESS
The 3yo’s Ebor, the Melrose Handicap, has a smaller field than we have been accustomed to. The market this week has spoken very favourably for William Haggas’s Soulcombe on the back of his fast finishing fourth at Goodwood. Not much went right that day when flying home behind Secret State and it was another step up the ladder.
He is likely to go off favourite, yet ahead of him that day was Charles Hills’ INVERNESS who also didn’t have the clearest of runs but stuck on gamely in third. Both runners have gone up 2lb yet INVERNESS is three times the price of Soulcombe and he also has the added positive of proving himself at the distance. That was against older horses at Ascot and so this easier one and three-quarter miles is certainly within his range.
Both Charlie Appleby runners are respected. Wild Crusade had his Ascot form franked when the runner-up won at Goodwood while Al Nafir finished second to yesterday’s listed third Judith at HQ when last seen two months ago.
3.35 YORK – EVER PRESENT & CALLING THE WIND
The £500,000 Ebor is the richest handicap run of the flat season and as expected it’s wide open. It is the closest race we have here to something akin to the Melbourne Cup with even the bottom weight running off a mark of 100.
For years the draw was a big issue with lower numbers dominating, but eight of the last 10 winners have been drawn 12 or wider while 6yos have won four of the last six runnings and half of the last eight winners were trained in Ireland.
The first selection then is an Irish trained 6yo who looks to have been laid out specifically for the contest. There isn’t much Jessica Harrington hasn’t won, from Cheltenham to the Curragh, from Aintree to Ascot. She is a brilliant trainer under both codes and her EVER PRESENT gets the vote for me.
He signed off last season winning a staying handicap at Leopardstown on Champions weekend, giving over a stone to an unexposed Dermot Weld trained 4yo with subsequent Group 2 scorer Lafayette back in third. He didn’t reappear until four weeks ago when weak in the betting for a Down Royal Listed contest that he clearly needed in finishing fourth. He is theoretically well drawn in stall 6 and looks to have plenty in his favour and as a lightly raced 6yo having just his tenth start, there should still be improvement lurking.
Earl Of Tyrone comes here on a four-timer after listed success at Limerick while Okita Soushi for Joseph O’Brien gives Ireland a strong hand at the top of the market. He is a very lightly raced 4yo having just his sixth start and ran a belter on just his fourth race at Royal Ascot. A line can be put through his well beaten second at Leopardstown when Shanroe was given far too much rope in a qualified riders race that turned quite farcical but his wide draw in two isn’t ideal.
William Haggas has two leading candidates in Gaassee and Royal Ascot winner Candleford while Alfred Boucher has a 4lb penalty for a very easy success here on Wednesday.
At a big price though, and with extra places for each way bets, I can’t resist a small each way play on CALLING THE WIND. His last handicap start came off this mark in the November Handicap when second to yesterday’s winner Farhan at Doncaster. He was giving the winner 21lb on that occasion and has acquitted himself well in pattern company since. He is another 6yo drawn centrally in eleven and as a consistent sort who usually runs his race, having been placed in a Cesarewitch and a Queen Alexandra at Royal Ascot, he can hit the frame for an in-form Richard Hughes team.
3.50 SANDOWN – VEE SIGHT
One horse away from the ITV cameras who looks worth backing is VEE SIGHT in the 3.50 Sandown. This looks a very competitive ten-furlong handicap, but VEE SIGHT sits right down the bottom off just 8-2 for Ralph Beckett and Jimmy Quinn. He was all the rage for a Goodwood handicap against his contemporaries but never looked at ease on the undulations Goodwood offers. He did exceptionally well to finish fourth in the circumstances and a more conventional track like Sandown should be more to his liking and even the uphill finish will be appreciated, as will the 7lb weight for age allowance he receives.
Ajero has gone up 7lb for his Goodwood win and will likely go from the front. There are a few who like to go forward and that can only help VEE SIGHT’s claims who will be staying on better than most.
*18+ | BeGambleAware
