Racing heads to God’s Own County as York hosts the prestigious Ebor Festival. Day Two is full of mouth-watering contests, including the Yorkshire Oaks which sees an open field, including a progressive three-year-old, the one-two from the Irish Oaks and a fans favourite. Who come out on top? Find out with selections for all seven races below.
Big Race View
This is a very open renewal of the Yorkshire Oaks, with no definite favourite and plenty of horses with support.
Queen Of The Pride has excelled this season. She cut her teeth at Haydock by winning the Lester Piggott Stakes narrowly in June and scorched clear of another improving horse, Tiffany, in the Lancashire Oaks. The long straight suits her, but firm ground is an area she hasn’t covered before and could be her Achilles heel.
Content has been another progressive horse this season. She was the best three-year-old in the Pretty Polly Stakes, then was denied a clear run in the Irish Oaks but rallied well to finish second. However, it looks like she wants rain having raced on fast ground three times and never won.
You Got To Me may have been a surprise winner of the Irish Oaks, but she held on well and has a little boost from Royal Ascot too. The firm ground should suit her front-running style, but front runners aren’t usually favoured at York, yet Ryan Moore judged City Of Troy’s ride from the front perfectly yesterday.
Or can Kieran Shoemark finally break his big race curse and deliver Emily Upjohn for the Yorkshire Oaks. She has been disappointing, barring her terrific run in the Pretty Polly. But I favour the three-year-olds more.
Out of the four top names mentioned, Content is the pick. With a clearer run she should have caught You Got To Me at The Curragh. That’s not to say she’ll face a big fight from a lot of rivals, but she looks a tough horse.
Big Race Bet: Yorkshire Oaks (GROUP ONE) – Content @ 3/1 (General), You Got To Me e/w @ 9/2 (General) – F/CAST
Juvenile Jotter
This looks a tight contest for the fillies. Plenty of angles from a mixture of races make it hard to find the right form race to follow. The history of this race also varies with no one path being the right one. However, those bred by sprinters seem to be the ones who come out on top.
In which case Miss Lamai makes sense. She has two wins to her name and has some Listed form to her name too. Bred by Mehmas, she is a future group sprinter and the step up to six won’t bother her at all. Karl Burke also has a good record in the Lowther, winning it twice since 2019.
Juvenile Jotter Bet: Lowther Stakes (Group Two) – Miss Lamai @ 8/1 (William Hill)
Handy Handicap Guide
The Clipper Handicap is often very volatile. Very few at the top of the market win this race and we’ve been treated to a few shocks in recent years. 40/1 Ropey Guest last year and 28/1 Cruyff Turn in 2021 hammer home that there is potential throughout the market.
Two grab attention for me. James McHenry has had a consistent season with a win and two seconds, including losing to La Trinidad at Thirsk last time out. He remains on the same mark whilst La Trinidad suffers with a penalty. He also has won on firm ground which is a big plus and steps up into the big handicap company with a workable weight.
Metal Merchant started his season with a win in the Spring Cup but has fallen under the radar in requisite runs. However, he’s been dropped a pound for finishing a length behind in the International Stakes at Ascot in fourth and also comes into the race two pounds well-in. Signs look postitive for this York racecourse debutant.
Handy Handicap Bet: Clipper Handicap (Hertiage H’cap) – James McHenry e/w @ 11/1 (General), Metal Merchant e/w @ 12/1 (William Hill)
Selections:
13:50 – Lowther Stakes (Group Two) – Miss Lamai @ 8/1 (William Hill), Tales Of The Heart e/w @ 14/1 (William Hill)
14:25 – Goffs Premier Yearling Stakes – An Outlaw’s Grace @ 4/1 (William Hill), Territorial Knight e/w @ 11/1 (William Hill), Sensorium e/w @ 22/1 (William Hill, BetVictor, Unibet)
15:00 – Clipper Handicap (Hertiage H’cap) – James McHenry e/w @ 11/1 (General), Metal Merchant e/w @ 12/1 (William Hill)
15:35 – Yorkshire Oaks (GROUP ONE) – Content @ 3/1 (General), You Got To Me e/w @ 9/2 (General) – F/CAST
16:10 – Galtres Stakes (Listed) – Sea Just In Time @ 9/4 (William Hill, Unibet)
16:45 – EBF Nursery – Spell Master @ 7/1 (William Hill), Original Outlaw e/w @ 13/2, Hot Property e/w @ 14/1 (William Hill)
17:20 – British EBF Fillies’ Handicap (Heritage H’cap) – Alfa Kenellic @ 8/1 (William Hill), Sunfall e/w @ 11/1 (General), Queen Of Mougins e/w @ 12/1 (William Hill)
Best of Luck!
