O’Brien duo fancied for victory on day one of Ebor Festival
Published:
It’s day one of four at York’s Ebor meeting, with a Group 1 showdown and a St Leger trial standing out on the card.
We’ve got plenty of ways for you to make the most of the action, including up to 10 Price Boosts a day on selected horses.
On Monday, we enhanced Chelmsford winner Hiorne Tower to 6/1 (starting price was 5/1).
In addition, we’ll be offering more great value courtesy of Best Odds Guaranteed PLUS.
Here’s how BOG+ works: Price taken at 3/1, Returns 7/2, Paid at 4/1!
Last Saturday, Newbury winner Mehmas was a 4/5 shot in the morning before drifting to Evens. For any customer taking 4/5 or less we paid out at 11/10.
Since the start of May we’ve paid out over £2m and rising on additional winnings!
But in the meantime, here are the tips…
Idaho is due a return to the winners’ enclosure, having not entered it since winning a two-year-old maiden. However, it is hard to quibble with any of his four runs this season.
The son of Galileo began by finishing second in the Ballysax Stakes on unsuitable soft ground and over an inadequate trip, before being ridden too far off the pace in a Leopardstown Derby trial when claiming third.
More recently he has enjoyed a good break since finishing third in the Epsom Derby and then second in the Irish equivalent. He should be winning this if he is to be a serious St Leger candidate.
Across The Stars looks the main danger, but he is rated 9lb inferior and has to concede 3lbs to the remainder of the six-runner field.
There are enough question marks about the two at the head of the market to warrant taking them on in the betting.
Postponed has looked imperious this season with three straight wins, with the last pair coming at Group 1 level. However, the Roger Varian yard has not been in the best recent form and the horse has never previously triumphed over this 1m2f trip.
Hawkbill has no such problems, with his six-race unbeaten sequence involving half over this distance. The concern with William Buick’s mount is that he has never been exposed to a surface this quick, with all victories coming on much softer conditions.
His outside stall is another negative in what is quite a large field of 13 runners for the Juddmonte International.
Highland Reel may not have Ryan Moore on board because of injury, but he will relish the good-to-firm conditions at York. He opened his account at Group 1 level last time at Ascot and may well improve further for that effort.
This is a very open handicap, with plenty holding solid chances.
Bowson Fred has been the model of consistency this season, going up 20lbs since April to his current mark of 100. He will be put in a position to be shot at, but may get caught by at least one of the fast finishers who are sure to get a good tow into the race.
Harry Hurricane has been awkward leaving the stalls on his last two starts, which may give him too much ground to make up in this 5f dash. He is now only 1lb higher than his last winning mark and should Robert Winston’s ride break well, he is one of those who may emerge from the pack.
When it comes to riding hold-up horses, few have a better reputation than Jamie Spencer and it is his booking on board Lexington Abbey that catches the eye most.
Spencer has finished no worse than second on the last three occasions he has ridden Kevin Ryan’s five-year-old and he has been finishing strongly in recent handicaps under different jockeys without ever looking like getting to the winners. Things could change here.
*We’re paying out 5 places on the 13:55 at York*.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
