The Ebor Festival at York continues at pace on Friday afternoon with a cracking card that features a trio of Group races at its core.
The Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes is preceded by the Lonsdale Cup and the Gimcrack Stakes, while there are three compelling handicaps and the always informative Convivial Maiden Stakes on day three.
York's seven-race offering runs from 13:50-17:20 and Enda McElhinney has picked out some selections in the key races on day three of the Ebor Festival.
15:35 York - Nunthorpe Stakes (Group 1, 5f)
A potentially decisive third meeting of the season awaits the sprinting sensations Big Evs and ASFOORA in the Nunthorpe.
The Aussie mare was triumphant for Oisin Murphy and trainer Henry Dwyer at Royal Ascot but Mick Appleby and Tom Marquand got some revenge this month at Glorious Goodwood.
The Antipodean raider is fancied to re-establish her class now. At Ascot in June she was much too good, Murphy having crossed the track to join and then eyeball Big Evs after he had led the main body of the field through the race. Asfoora soon established dominance there and something similar may occur now.
At Goodwood, widely acclaimed as Britain's fastest five-furlongs, everything was teed up for Big Evs and, yet, at the line it was a diminishing short-head that stopped Asfoora from winning. This track, particularly the final furlong, will lend itself to the mare and – perhaps most crucially of all – she has a 6lb turnaround at the weights for that slender defeat three weeks ago. The big guns should be to the fore and, late in the day, look for Asfoora to sweep by and win.
Last year's winner Live In The Dream needs this return to York to help him find his best if he is to have a major say again for Adam West and Sean Kirrane, while the likes of Regional and Believing have each-way possibilities on their best form and Bradsell is a four-year-old with low miles on the clock that could step up now for Archie Watson and Hollie Doyle.
It could be a shootout between the big pair, with Bradsell feared, but one that might shine at a big price is Makarova for Ed Walker and Hector Crouch.
She finished fourth in this contest 12 months ago and ran with credit in the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp afterwards.
She has generally been running well this season, and was rewarded when taking a Sandown Group 3 last month with Live In The Dream back in fourth.
She wasn't helped by some traffic woes in her only outing since as Believing won the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh and she settled for third. She handles all ground conditions and could find her way into the mix again on the Knavesmire for the first time since last year's Nunthorpe.
Selection: Asfoora
Next Best: Makarova
Bet On The Ebor Festival
3.00 - Clipper Handicap
14:25 York - Lonsdale Cup Stakes (Group 2, 2m)
The big stayers' race of the week and it might be a really good chance for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore to continue their excellence as POINT LONSDALE makes plenty of appeal.
He started last season with Group-race wins at the Curragh and Chester before coming up a little shy in a succession of top-level assignments.
He didn't shine in a spring campaign in the Middle East but was polished in running out a wide-margin winner of the 1m5½f Ormonde Stakes at Chester in May and has since run admirably over shorter in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Connections now consent to give him a go at this marathon trip for the first time and it could be handsomely rewarded at York.
The 2022 winner Quickthorn doesn't look like the force of old and is unlikely to be allowed to dominate in front, while the likes of Al Nayyir and Alsakib have more to find on ratings in this company.
Vauban has lost his way a little for Willie Mullins and needs to get back on track, while the Gosden team are pinning their hopes of more success in a race that has been good to them on this ease in class allowing Gregory to regain some momentum.
At the bottom of the racecard is Align The Stars, a progressive sort for Charlie Johnston that will carry just 8st 7lb, albeit no 3YO has bagged this race since his father saddled Double Eclipse to the first of his two wins in 1995.
Selection: Point Lonsdale
Next Best: Gregory
15:00 York - Gimcrack Stakes (Group 2, 6f)
Big Mojo finished strongly to win the Molecomb Stakes at Glorious Goodwood and is a leading contender on that form, with the possibility that Mick Appleby's Mohaather colt will improve again for this step up to 6f on what is a massive afternoon for connections.
Shadow Of Light for Godolphin, Andesite for Karl Burke and Irish raider Caburn for Jack Jones have won all five races they have contested, while Cool Hoof Luke is one to note dropped in trip by Andrew Balding.
THE STRIKIN VIKING was perhaps forced to grab the leader earlier than ideal in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood three weeks ago but he found plenty for James Doyle and was unfortunate to be gunned down late by Black Forza as that one found another gear from an improbable position. With a C&D win under his belt already, this top-rated colt looks the one to be within the Gimcrack.
Selection: The Strikin Viking
Next Best: Cool Hoof Luke
