2023 Thursday York Ebor Meeting Preview – DS
2023 Thursday York Ebor Meeting Tips
Not the best of starts to the week on Day 1 but at least we didn’t blank. Our 20/1 NAP Makanah ran yet another super race, just failing to get up in 4th. Hot Fuss tried to make all and failed, I’d have preferred if he was ridden more patiently. Charging Thunder ran well but not well enough and finished 5th. Woolhampton ran a stinker and so did Ganesha. Let’s hope for better on Day 2, check out Dave Stevos’ 2023 Thursday York Ebor meeting tips below.
1.50 – Sky Bet Lowther Stakes (Group 2)
Clipper Logistics won this in 2019 with Living in The Past at 12/1. They run two this year and retained jockey Danny Tudhope gets the leg up on the Michael Bell trained Queen’s Guard. By the promising Havana Grey, this filly could only manage 4th when well backed on debut at Doncaster (6f sft). It looked like she didn’t get home on the ground but it was much more like it next time at Yarmouth (6f gd).
Sent off at 12/1, Queen’s Guard jumped out and slotted in behind the leaders in the middle of the track. Around 2f out Tudhope switched her out to get daylight. She travelled into the lead strongly and after Tudhope gave her a livener a furlong out, she put daylight between herself and her rivals. He just kept her rolling in the closing stages and she won cosily by nearly 2L.
Dubai Treasure was 3L back in third and she adds substance to the form. She was only a neck behind Sacred Angel on her debut and she won a G3 at Ascot and was 4th in the G1 Prix Morny behind Vandeek. Tudhope has finished in the first 4 in 49 of 81 rides for Michael Bell, winning on 14. Hopefully he can enhance that excellent record on Queen’s Guard at odds of 40/1.
2023 Thursday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Queen’s Guard e/w @ 40/1
2.25 – Goffs Premier Yearling Stakes (Class 2)
In this race in recent years it has usually paid to be drawn low. The last seven years has seen winners start from stall 4, 3, 12, 14, 2, 6 and 7. However, between 2008 and 2015 it was high drawn horses that dominated so to be honest, if a horse is good enough it should be able to win from any draw. It looks like most of the early pace is going to come from the lower drawn horses and from stall 9, perhaps Pilgrim can make his presence felt for the Barrons.
Joe Fanning gets the leg up on this son of Havana Grey and he is drawn in stall 9. He remains a maiden after two runs but both came on rain softened ground. His debut effort was on good to soft at Ayr and it was his best run. He was only a neck behind Dorothy Lawrence and she runs in the Lowther.
On his next start at Thirsk the ground was softer and he faded late on into third. The winner of that race was Boardman and she is entered up in listed company later this week. My hope is that the switch to proper fast ground will suit this colt.
His half-brother Moraawed won twice on good ground and his dam ran two of her best races on firm at Bath. Havana Grey has a 32% winner to runner strike rate on good to firm, hopefully Pilgrim can step up now getting fast ground for the first time. At odds of 28/1, Pilgrim is the e/w selection.
2023 Thursday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Pilgrim e/w @ 28/1 (5 places)
3.00 – Clipper Handicap (Heritage)
The last time Ropey Guest ran at York it was in the G3 Acomb (7f gd). He ran a cracker to finish 3rd, staying on well in the closing stages. He now returns for the first time in handicap company and he races off a mark of 95. His last win at Goodwood in May came off 88 but he did win a handicap at Yarmouth off 92 in September 2021 and he ran a blinder off his current mark at Newmarket last month (7f gd/fm).
The 6yo son of Cable Bay was admittedly disappointing at Ascot last time (7f gd). However, he rarely runs two poor races in a row and he is the type to bounce back. On his last start at a mile he ran a big race off 92 when 4th at Newmarket. His Yarmouth win came over this distance and he hasn’t had any chances to run over a mile on rattling quick ground.
In his juvenile days it seemed like this lad wanted slow ground but he has produced two of his best handicap efforts on good to firm. With plenty of early of pace in this race he should get the strong gallop he needs and if he can reproduce the level of form he showed on his last visit to the Knavesmire, Ropey Guest can outrun his odds of 33/1.
2023 Thursday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Ropey Guest e/w @ 33/1 (6 places)
3.35 – Yorkshire Oaks (Group 1)
At odds of 14/1, Rosscarbery looks overpriced for this 12f G1. Trained by Paddy Twomey, Lady Bamford’s 5yo has been in fine form this season. A G3 win at Cork on her return was followed by a sound effort in the G1 Pretty Polly (10f gd) when she got very badly hampered. Last time out she ran a lovely race behind Emily Dickinson in the G2 Curragh Cup (14f sft).
This mare has won six races at trips ranging from a mile to 14f. She has yet to run on good to firm but she has won a pair of G3s on good ground. Rosscarbery also went agonisingly close on good ground in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville a year ago (10f). She stayed on really well in that contest and just failed to catch the winner Aristia.
Her first win in pattern company on good ground came over today’s trip of 12f at Cork. She has also won a G3 on good ground over 14f. I think she is more than capable of winning at the top table and this trip/track/ground combination could be exactly what she needs. She is admittedly up against a couple of promising 3yos but odds of 16/1 are too tempting to turn down.
2023 Thursday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Rosscarbery e/w @ 16/1
4.10 – Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes (Listed)
I was very surprised to see Moracana declared for this race. She was guaranteed a run in the Ebor on Saturday but connections have prioritised black type over prize money. She is too short for the blog today but she should be there or thereabouts.
One that could also sneak a bit of black type here is the outsider, Tregony. This late blooming daughter of New Bay has a fair bit to do on the figures with a mark of 90. However, I really liked how she shaped last time in a valuable Windsor handicap (10f gd/fm).
Held up by Saffie Osborne, she made her challenge on the inside rail. The gap didn’t come until a furlong from home but once it did, Tregony stayed on really well to get up for third. She ran through the line strongly and the daughter of New Bay looks well worth a shot over this sort of trip.
She has tried 12f before but that was last season and she is a better horse now. This horse loves rattling quick ground and her trainer has a decent record on the Knavesmire (10/143 with 48 Top 4s). Osborne has form figures of 11113 on board Tregony, hopefully she can conjure up another big run at odds of 28/1.
2023 Thursday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Tregony e/w @ 28/1 (4 places)
4.45 – EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap (Class 2)
From the plum draw in stall 1, Balon D’Or could bounce back now returned to fast ground. By Kodiac, this 89 rated colt disappointed on testing ground at Goodwood last time. That was his handicap debut but he had been highly tried previously.
After a novice win at Musselburgh he ran a nice race in the Lily Agnes at Chester on soft. However, his best effort to date came next time at Epsom in the Woodcote (6f gd/fm). In that race he was only reeled in late on by Bobsleigh, a 101 rated horse that was subsequently beat just 3L in the Coventry. Haatem was 2L behind in third and he is now rated 105. That form makes Balon D’Or’s mark of 89 look very workable.
The next twice Balon D’Or ran respectably in a Chantilly G3 on good to soft (6f) and a Listed race at Newbury (6f gd). His handicap debut was poor but it was horrible ground at Goodwood. I am hoping this surface suits a lot better and if he can repeat that Epsom form, his sole good to firm run, he should make a bold bid from stall 1 at odds of 25/1.
2023 Thursday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Balon D’Or e/w @ 25/1 (5 places) NB
5.20 – British EBF Fillies’ Handicap (Heritage)
In her last two races, Coco Jamboo has looked like she is ready to step back up to 7f. At Newmarket (6f gd) and Haydock (6f gd) she got outpaced around 2f out before keeping on steadily to finish third on both occasions. The way she was ridden suggests that Botti may have been getting her handicapped for a big race and I am hoping this is the one.
On her last run over 7f on good ground she won off 78 at Newmarket in a 26k fillies’ handicap. That remains her sole win to date and it was the biggest pot she has ever competed for, until now. Andrea Atzeni was on the job when she won at Newmarket and Botti has booked him for the ride again.
The daughter of Massaat has form figures of 123 over 7f and she should be well suited by a truly run race today. Her trainer has a more than decent record with his York raiders (9/92 with 30 top 4s) and Atzeni has ridden over 100 winners for the stable. Coco Jamboo is a hold up sort so a degree of luck will be needed from stall 9 but she is fairly handicapped, she’s crying out for 7f so at odds of 20/1, she is the e/w selection.
