York Ebor Festival Wednesday Tips by Dave Stevos
York Ebor Festival Wednesday Tips
Last Saturday was very frustrating. A few of our selections ran well, but only one managed to nick each way money. Golden Pass was the big disappointment and it looked like she didn’t stay. My Style got going a bit too late but he flew home and was beat 1.5L for the win and 0.75L for third. Troubador also ran a blinder, missing out on a place by a short head. Tactical was well backed but never really got into the race. Intrinsic Bond, our e/w NAP at 16/1, at least managed to get something back for us in the Great St Wilfrid. This week the focus switches to the Knavesmire and it should be a superb few days of racing. Check out our York Ebor Festival Wednesday tips below.
1.50 – Sky Bet Handicap (Class 2)
Looking back at previous renewals of this race, it seems that the location of the early pace is more important than the draw. 2018 winner El Astronaute is a likely pace angle, as is confirmed trail blazer Major Jumbo. They are drawn in stalls 17 and 19 so it might pay to focus on those drawn mid to high. Paul Midgely won this race with Desert Law a few years ago and Tarboosh was 3rd for him in it last season. This time he runs two and I think Indian Sounds could go well for him off bottom weight.
Rated 87, this son of Exceed and Excel will start from stall 18. He is drawn beside El Astronaute so this prominent racer should get a nice tow into the race. He has finished 9th and 11th on his two previous runs at York but on both occasions he didn’t enjoy the clearest of runs. On his last visit, back in May, he was beat 6L behind Copper Night off 89 and he is 2lb lower now.
Indian Sounds comes into the race in good form. He has gone close on two of his last three starts and he got no clear run on his penultimate outing when beat 2.75L by Jawwaal. He is now 4lbs better off with that rival (and 6lbs better off than when beat a head by him at Doncaster). I thought he finished off his race really well last time and if he can get a clear run this afternoon Indian Sounds is capable of hitting the frame at 33/1.
York Ebor Festival Wednesday Tips: Indian Sounds e/w @ 33/1 NB (6 Places)
2.25 – Acomb Stakes (Group 3)
A bitterly disappointing turnout for this 7f Group 3 with just five horses declared. Johnston, Fahey, Hills and Easterby have won the last four renewals but only Johnston is represented this season. He relies on rank outsider Royal Patronage, a thrice raced son of Wootton Bassett. He has improved for every run, culminating in a 5L romp at Epsom last time out (7f gd/sft). On his previous start at Sandown (7f gd) he finished 4L behind Native Trail, a subsequent Group 2 winner.
Noble Truth is one of the favourites today and he too finished 4L behind a future G2 winner on debut (Lusail). He made no mistake on his next start at Newmarket (7f gd/fm) and that form looks decent. Imperial Fighter won impressively on his debut at Goodwood (7f sft). It is always worth noting when Balding has a first time up winner as his horses usually improve plenty for the experience. The ground today is an unknown but he has plenty of winning half-siblings that handled quicker conditions.
Ehraz finished 2L behind Noble Truth on debut at Newmarket. He dropped back to 6f for his next run and he hacked up by 4L at Ascot on good to firm. He is also near the top of the market alongside Dubawi Legend. Hugo Palmer’s son of Dubawi hosed up on debut at Doncaster (7f gd/fm). The horses in behind haven’t exactly franked the form but visually, he was extremely impressive. However, I was very taken by Royal Patronage’s win last time and while he isn’t a confident selection, at the prices I think he is worth chancing each way for small stakes at 20/1.
York Ebor Festival Wednesday Tips: Royal Patronage e/w @ 20/1
3.00 – Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2)
Hopefully all eight stand their ground in this tricky looking 12f Group 2. This race is for 3yos only and it looks pretty open. Surprisingly, Aidan O’Brien doesn’t have the best of records in this race. Since winning it with Milan in 2001 and Powerscourt in 2003, he has only won it once (in 2016 with Idaho). It hasn’t been for the want of trying either. Mogul was fav last season and could only manage 3rd. In 2019 he ran two (2nd and 3rd) and in 2018 he ran three (3rd, 5th and 6th).
This year he fires three bullets. High Definition (Ryan Moore), Sir Lucan (Frankie) and The Mediterranean (Wayne Lordan). On paper there isn’t much between the three of them. They are rated 113, 110 and 109 respectively but Sir Lucan has the best recent form. High Definition flopped in the Irish Derby but his good run in the Dante here probably persuaded Moore to give him another chance. Sir Lucan went close under Dettori at Goodwood last time in a G3 (12f gd/sft) when he had Third Realm and Youth Spirit just behind. The Mediterranean made the pace last time at Longchamp and similar duties could await today.
Realm Can Go Close
Third Realm is a horse I have a lot of time for. We were on when he won his Derby Trial at Epsom (11.5f sft). He had Adayar 1.25L behind but that horse reversed that form in emphatic fashion at Epsom. Roger Varian’s charge finished 11L behind him in 5th but in his defence he was too keen during the race and things just didn’t go to plan. Last time at Goodwood I think Atzeni was a shade too forward on him early in the race and while he was only beat 1.75L for the win, I think under more patient tactics he may have gone closer.
I am hoping that Atzeni rides him more quietly today. The O’Brien pacemaker should go a good clip and that will hopefully enable the son of Sea The Stars to settle better. I think this better ground will suit him too because he possesses a nice turn of foot. Three of Roger Varian’s last five runners have won and he has a decent strike rate at this track. It is too soon to write off Third Realm and I think he is going to go very close at odds of 13/2.
York Ebor Festival Wednesday Tips: Third Realm e/w @ 13/2 NAP
3.35 – Juddmonte International Stakes (Group 1)
Mishriff may have been beaten the last twice but he lost little caste in defeat. He ran a blinder in the Coral Eclipse behind St Mark’s Basilica and Addeybb and he was the only horse to give Adayar something to think about last time out at Ascot (12f gd/fm). Love was nearly 2L back in 3rd that day and it is hard to make a case for her turning that form around, even over this shorter distance.
Alcohol Free has top class form in the book over shorter distances. She has beaten Snow Lantern and Poetic Flare in 2 of her last 3 runs and she finished ahead of Lady Bowthorpe in the Falmouth when she finished 3rd. Another big run is on the cards this afternoon, if her stamina holds out. Mohaafeth’s winning spree came to an end over 10f here last time. Bangkok burst his bubble by 0.5L but the Haggas yard continues in sensational form and an improved performance wouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Ground Concerns For Swiney
We backed Mac Swiney when he won the Irish Guineas. The soft/heavy ground was in his favour but unfortunately, he just isn’t as good on quicker ground. His form figures on ground with good in the description read 49846. On yielding or softer they read 15111. He is a hardy sort who should give his running but on this ground he is opposed.
Another Haggas inmate is Alenquer, the mount of Tom Marquand. He lowered the colours of Adayar on his seasonal return at Sandown (10f gd). He then followed up on bottomless ground at Ascot in a G2 (12f hvy). Kept to 12f, it was soft again on his last outing when he finished well beaten behind Hurricane Lane at Longchamp. That was a messy race though and I think it’s best to put a line through it.
This will be just his second start on genuinely good ground and he is back at the distance at which he beat Adayar. Admittedly, he’ll need to improve 10lbs to win this but it is just his 6th career start and he is completely unexposed on good ground. William Haggas has an excellent record at York but this race has so far eluded him. He is in flying form (15 winners last two weeks) and at odds of 12/1, Alenquer is worth chancing each way.
