2023 Wednesday York Ebor Meeting Preview – DS
2023 Wednesday York Ebor Meeting Tips
We rarely blank at the Curragh, but that is what happened on Sunday. To be fair, Barley Cove didn’t run too badly, he is definitely one to watch in handicaps. Prisoner’s Dilemma got done for a place on the line and then both Florence Thompson and Lady Christa ran stinkers. Hopefully we got all the losers out of the way ahead of this busy week. Check out Dave Stevos’ 2023 Wednesday York Ebor meeting tips below.
1.50 – Sky Bet Handicap (Heritage)
We backed Makanah at Goodwood last time out and he ran better than his finishing position suggests. He moved into the race nicely enough 2f out but he got tired on the extremely testing ground.
Julie Camacho’s charge got a couple of pounds back for that effort and pitches up here off 96. That is 4lbs lower than when beat 2.5L by Bielsa here (6f gd) in mid-May. He was racing off 101 when beat 1.75l into 5th by Bergerac in last year’s renewal. Somehow, this 8yo son of Mayson has yet to win at York but he has never run a bad race on the Knavesmire.
Makanah’s career form figures at York read 354442455 and the margins of defeat in his handicap runs here have been 1.25L, 1.25L, 1.75L, a head, 1.75L and 2.5L. He simply doesn’t know how to run a bad race here and he has been handed what looks a decent draw in stall 20. Paul Hanagan, on board for his last win, returns to the plate and at odds of 20/1, Makanah should run a big race.
2023 Wednesday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Makanah e/w @ 20/1 (6 places) NAP
2.25 – Acomb Stakes (Group 3)
An absolute shocker of a turnout for this 7f Group 3. In fact, that is a theme of the day with just 15 horses declared across the three pattern races at York on Wednesday. This looks an open enough race. The Adrian Keatley trained Ballymount Boy ran a massive race on soft ground at Goodwood last time. Vandeek franked that form in France on Sunday by landing a G1. However, fast ground is an unknown and I’m going to take him on with a horse that owes us a turn.
We were on Hot Fuss at monstrous odds in the Chesham (7f gd/fm) at Royal Ascot. Tom Dascombe’s charge was not given the greatest of rides that day and he should have gone a lot closer than the 1.25L he was beaten into 5th. In fact, I would argue that he should have won.
The son of Calyx made no mistake dropped back into maiden company on his third start, winning by almost 6L at Salisbury (7f sft). The third and sixth both won next time out so it was a taking performance. The fact that the Chesham form hasn’t worked out is a slight concern, as is the fact that every time I tip up a horse that Kingscote is on, he seems to forget how to be a jockey. However, I think Hot Fuss is twice the price he should be so at 10/1, back him e/w.
2023 Wednesday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Hot Fuss e/w @ 10/1 (3 places coral)
3.00 – Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2)
Just five runners in this 12f Group 2 and Gregory heads the betting for Frankie. This son of Golden Horn is unbeaten after three runs, including a G2 at Ascot last time (14f gd). Currently a 5/2 shot for the St Leger, the only slight concern for his supporters is this drop back to 12f. However, he won his first two races easily over this trip so he should be fine. He looks a worthy favourite at 11/8.
The two biggest threats look to be Continuous and Castle Way. The former horse was last sighted running a big race in the King Edward VII at Ascot (12f gd/fm). He was 3.5L behind the winner King Of Steel with Artistic Star another 2.5L back in third. He ran well here over 10.5f behind The Foxes back in May so he handles this track and it’ll be interesting to see how he fares against the fav.
Castle Way is chalked up at 7/2 for Appleby and Buick. He has won his last three, a handicap at the backend of last season and he then landed Listed and G3 races over 10f and 13f at Newmarket. Fast ground is fine for him, the drop back in trip shouldn’t pose any problems but he might just find Gregory too good.
This could be one for favourite backers so we’ll sit it out. No bet.
2023 Wednesday York Ebor Meeting Tips: No Bet
3.35 – Juddmonte International Stakes (Group 1)
A paltry turnout of just four for the day’s feature, the G1 Juddmonte Stakes. Paddington is odds on to give Aidan O’Brien his first win in this race since Japan in 2019. On his last start at this trip he beat Emily Upjohn at Sandown (10f gd) and the son of Siyouni handled conditions well when winning a G1 at Goodwood last time out (8f sft). This will be his seventh start of the season and his fifth G1, you’d just wonder whether his busy schedule might take a toll.
Mostahdaf is an extremely talented horse and he earned a rating of 128 for his Ascot romp last time out. He absolutely dotted up in the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, beating Luxembourg, Adayar and My Prospero with the minimum of fuss. 10f looks his optimum trip, Frankie is up with Jim Crowley suspended and he could provide Paddington with the sternest test of his career to date.
Falmouth Winner
Nashwa won the G1 Falmouth two runs ago but this is a much harder race. That was a standout run compared to all her other outings this season and she will need either a career best or her two main rivals to falter to win this.
The Foxes is no mug and he is 1/1 over this C&D. Oisin Murphy rides Andrew Balding’s charge and he was last sighted running a huge race in the Belmont Derby where a slow start cost him the victory. He landed the Dante here in May and bar a blip in the Epsom Derby, he has been ultra consistent this season. I can see him outrunning his odds of 18/1 but with no e/w betting available, this is another race we’ll be sitting out.
2023 Wednesday York Ebor Meeting Tips: No bet
4.10 – Sky Bet Stayers Handicap (Heritage)
Now that he gets his favoured fast ground for the first time this season, Charging Thunder is interesting here. David O’Meara and Danny Tudhope team up with this son of War Command and he is in off 90 today. That’s 5lbs lower than he was when last winning at Newmarket (14f gd/fm) in July 2022. He was subsequently narrowly beaten off 97 and 98 so he is definitely handicapped to be competitive.
He didn’t really fire in a spell in Dubai in the winter and since returning, his last three runs have come on soft ground. The 5yo has course form in the book, finishing second over 12f in May last year. He has yet to tackle further than 14f but he has shaped like this trip would suit on a couple of occasions.
If he is going to stay 16f, it’ll be on good to firm ground. His career form figures on that sort of surface read 1312221122. He is a half to Melbourne Cup placed Prince Of Arran, a stout stayer, and his half brother Makawee was third in this race in 2020 so he is bred to get the trip. He has a grand draw in stall 9 so at 18/1, Charging Thunder is the e/w selection.
2023 Wednesday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Charging Thunder e/w @ 18/1 (4 places)
4.45 – IRE Incentive Fillies’ Handicap (Heritage)
Fourteen speedy fillies & mares will fight it out for the £100k pot in this 5f burn up. With just fourteen runners, we won’t worry about the draw here. It looks like most of the early pace will come from the lower stalls so it might just set up for a closer.
Woolhampton flopped at Newbury last weekend but she is better than that. Saffie Osborne has been riding well recently and she takes over from Ross Coakley in the plate. Her previous two runs before Newbury saw her beat a head at Windsor (5f gd/fm) off 81 and then she won a fillies’ handicap at Ascot (5f gd/sft).
Earlier this year Woolhampton ran a blinder over this C&D. Running off 84, she ran on really strongly in the closing stages to finish 5th of 18, just 2.5L behind the winner. I’d be amazed if this race wasn’t on connections’ radar after that run and she wasn’t given a hard race after missing the break last time. If she pings the gates today, she is more than capable of running into the money at odds of 25/1.
2023 Wednesday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Woolhampton e/w @ 25/1 (4 places)
5.20 – Sky Bet Nursery Handicap (Class 2)
Off a mark of 87, Ganesha should not be far away in this 6f nursery handicap. Trained by Philip Makin, we backed this colt in the Windsor Castle at Ascot (5f gd/fm). He finished 8th, 7L behind the winner Big Evs, but he finished off his race really well and he probably should have got a fair bit closer to the principals.
Makin’s charge got off the mark two runs later on handicap debut at Hamilton (5f gd/sft). That came off 82 and he proved he could be competitive off his revised rating of 88 when chasing home Blue Prince over today’s C&D last month. The handicapper kindly dropped him to 87 after that effort.
That was a small field of five and he raced on his own in the centre, attempting to make all. He travelled like the best horse in the race and I think that he will be more effective in a field of this size. Blue Prince re-opposes here and Ganesha is 10lbs better off with him. I think that will be more than enough for him to reverse the form. With Zoulu Chief in the field Ganesha will get a good pace to aim at, hopefully Rowan Scott can produce him late and land e/w money at odds of 18/1.
