Day 2 of the Ebor Festival is definitely one to savour and the big race is the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks, which takes place at 3.35.
This race has an illustrious roll of honour, which includes Alexandrova, Midday, Enable, Love and Alpinista. With a £500,000 prize pot, it’s sure to be a fiercely competitive affair.
Here we provide a detailed analysis of the big race at York, where they race from 1.50 to 5.20, and several other tips on an excellent supporting card.
3.35 – Yorkshire Oaks
The big race of the day is shaping up to be a cracker, with a very competitive field of eight set to take their chances. This Group 1 has everything you would want in a top-level race, with the Irish Oaks winner and runner-up as well as the Ribblesdale Stakes winner in the field. There are some high-class older horses too and it’s one to look forward to.
Recent trends suggest that it’s a tough race for the older horses, as only exceptional mares such as Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners Alpinista and Enable have managed to come out on top as five-year-olds.
Emily Upjohn is the one older horse who has the capacity to reach that sort of level on her day but it’s been a disappointing season for her and it’s hard to know what to expect with that in mind. Her second to Bluestocking in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in June was more like it but she was poor again at Goodwood next time.
Queen Of The Pride and Sea Theme are two of the three four-year-olds in the field and the latter has been well beaten by the former in two of her three starts this season. John and Thady Gosden’s Queen Of The Pride was an impressive winner of the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks and should give a good account of herself in her first Group 1.
Hughie Morrison runs Mistral Star and, while she was an impressive winner in Listed company at Newmarket last time, this is a big step up and she was well beaten behind Queen Of The Pride at Haydock in June.
You Got To Me came out on top against CONTENT in the Irish Oaks last time but Aidan O’Brien’s runner can be considered an unlucky loser as she was waiting for room and came home strongly once the space opened up. With better luck, Content should be capable of reversing the form this time.
She has taken time to come to hand this year but the step up to 1m4f clearly helped last time and there could be more to come from this daughter of Galileo. Her sire is running out of chances to reach 100 Group or Grade 1 winners and she could be the one to do it.
One who appeals at a bigger price is stablemate Port Fairy. Her performance in the Irish Oaks last time was too bad to be true and her defeat of Lava Stream in the Ribblesdale Stakes is a more accurate reflection of her ability.
Selection: Content
Next Best: Port Fairy
1.50 - Lowther Stakes
The opening race is an interesting one and we should see how well some of the Royal Ascot juvenile form holds up. Leovanni was successful in the Queen Mary and she steps up to 6f for the first time with stablemate Miss Lamai.
Those fillies are very fast over 5f and it could prove sensible to side with the proven 6f performers instead. HEAVENS GATE was only a length behind the winner when third in the Albany Stakes over 6f at Royal Ascot.
She was a little unlucky in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket after that but made no mistake when comfortably winning a valuable sales race at Naas this month. The return to Group 2 company is welcome and another big run is anticipated.
Ed Walker’s Celandine appeals at a slightly bigger price and she wasn’t suited by the drop in trip at Goodwood when last seen. Her one-length third in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin suggests she has the ability to compete at this level.
Selection: Heavens Gate
Next Best: Celandine
Bet On The Ebor Festival
3.00 - Clipper Handicap
The £150,000 Clipper Handicap over a mile looks fiercely competitive as usual. William Haggas’s Elnajmm, winner of his last three starts, bids to follow up his Ascot success under a 6lb penalty but is worth taking on at the prices and THUNDER RUN could be the one to side with.
Having had just four starts, Karl Burke’s three-year-old remains thoroughly unexposed. He was particularly impressive at Thirsk last month and would have learned plenty from the experience when finishing third on his handicap debut at the same track last time. Racing off the same mark here, he’s entitled to find some improvement and will go close if doing so.
New Image narrowly came out on top when upped to a mile for the first time in the Shergar Cup a couple of weeks ago. The handicapper might be catching up with him, however, and a lower draw would probably help.
Elnajmm got the better of Catch The Paddy when scoring at Newcastle in June and Kevin Ryan’s runner has a significant weight swing in his favour here. Ryan is always a trainer to watch at York and it would be no surprise to see Catch The Paddy return to form with a massive run.
Selection: Thunder Run
Next Best: Catch The Paddy
4.10 - British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes
Thrice-raced SEA JUST IN TIME represents the William Haggas yard and the brilliant Tom Marquand is on board. The daughter of Sea The Stars was sixth in a Listed race at Goodwood two starts ago but looked very inexperienced and should be much more ready this time.
She had a good confidence booster when winning a Kempton novice under a penalty last time and can follow up here.
Noisy Jazz stands out at the prices as she absolutely bolted up on her debut at Newmarket over a mile, scoring by five lengths. She takes a big jump in grade and distance here but her pedigree suggests the trip will be fine and she made a very good impression at Newmarket.
Fairy Glen and Divina Grace are fairly closely matched on the form of the latter’s success at Newmarket this month, but others appeal more.
Selection: Sea Just In Time
Next Best: Noisy Jazz
