Zero Money and Dundonnell favoured in opening races at York
Published:Rex Imperator has been one of the best-backed horses of the day at York, but it is his stablemate that appeals more in the opener as we assess the first two televised races.
14:00 York – Zero Money @ 12/1
Having been tipped overnight by Pricewise all of the value seems to have gone from Rex Imperator, who is now as short as 4/1 from an initial 10/1.
This seems short for a horse so inexperienced in a 20-runner field, even if he is still unexposed.
Rex Imperator was mightily impressive at Windsor two starts ago, but he did pull hard last time when well backed and only finished fourth.
A return to a flatter track at York should help, but he has finished no better than fifth over 5f before and so he has plenty to prove over the trip.
It is the other runner from the Roger Charlton yard that appeals more at the prices, with Zero Money available at 12/1.
Zero Money was just over two lengths behind his stablemate at Windsor, but is 9lb better off here and this is a big swing in the weights.
Of those at bigger prices, Dickie’s Lad has been woefully out of form on his last three starts, but has performed well on his two career starts at York.
The use of a hood could have a positive impact and he may be worth monitoring at 20/1.
14:30 York – Dundonnell @ 15/8
There are at least three horses with strong claims in this Group Three contest, but slight preference is for Dundonnell, who surged to a 12-length victory last time.
He was third behind the highly-regarded Ghurair on debut despite a poor draw and softish ground, but on a firmer surface routed the opposition at Lingfield.
Ebn Arab was also impressive on his sole start, but may be caught for speed by the selection, with stamina seeming more of his forte.
Aidan O’Brien runners always warrant respect and Afonso De Sousa could not have been more impressive last time, but he could set the race up for others with his front-running style.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
