The Ebor meeting at York Racecourse is the next big summer festival for Flat racing fans to be excited for.
With a fair track for competition, tight-nit races, and highly-anticipated clashes, the four-day event on the Knavesmire next week is one not to miss.
Get ready to 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙚 into the York next week! 🪂
One week to go until the World Pool action begins on the Knavesmire…#WorldPool | 𝗕𝗲𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 | @yorkracecourse
— World Pool (@WorldPool) August 16, 2023
With that in mind, I already have an ante-post fancy for the event as well as one horse who is running at Ripon this weekend in the valuable Great St Wilfid Handicap.
So, let’s dive in.
York Beq-ons for Shadwell star
Next Friday’s Group 2 City Of York Stakes has the quality of a proper top-class contest, and rightly so with York racecourse offering up £500,000 in prize money.
Plenty in here have strong claims, but the 10/1 available with William Hill for MUTASAABEQ looks like a good each-way price from an ante-post perspective.
Charlie Hills’ five-year-old has experienced a mixed season so far this year as he burst back onto the scene with a dominating three-length victory in the Group 2 bet365 Mile at Newmarket before an average performance in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes when drawn on the wrong side of the track just 15 days later.
👀 That is some performance
Mutasaabeq leaves Native Trail in his wake as he bolts up in the G2 bet365 Mile @NewmarketRace @JimCrowley1978 | @ShadwellStud | @cbhills pic.twitter.com/ULtUFHEI9q
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 5, 2023
Following a below-par outing in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, when he failed to deploy his usual front-running tactics, connections have freshened him up for the Knavesmire next week whilst also stepping him down in trip to seven furlongs.
As a strong traveller, which he clearly is, the one-furlong drop in distance should be no problem for the Invincible Spirit entire.
On his day, he is very close to a Group 1 animal when conditions are right, and with this freshen-up set to have him 100%, 10/1 looks to be a nice price.
Grey shouldn’t Mis Wilfrid opportunity
Back to the more immediate future and looking at Saturday’s Great St Wilfrid Handicap at Ripon, I’m looking to take a chance on ARAMIS GREY at 20/1 with William Hill.
Although the six-year-old is entered for the Listed Flying Fillies’ Stakes on Sunday at Pontefract, hopefully, Rae Guest and connections swerve that race and come here instead.
Why? Well, officially rated 95, a career-high mark, the Gutaifan mare was third at Haydock two starts ago in the Listed Cecil Frail Stakes when behind Get Ahead, a horse who would go on to place in the Group 2 Prix du Gros-Chene next time out.
Get Ahead is a dominant winner of the feature Listed @BritishEBF British Stallion Studs Cecil Frail with the well-bred four-year-old bounding clear for a taking victory and completes a double on the card for the @RKingscote and Clive Cox combination 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Bjii1Zylxo
— Haydock Park Races (@haydockraces) May 26, 2023
Before that, she finished just a length behind the 103-rated Queen Aminatu over seven furlongs on the all-weather and beat Vadream, a Listed and Group 3 winner since, at Lingfield two months before then.
Furthermore, Aramis Grey received an entry to the Ayr Gold Cup earlier this week, so if they fancy their chances in the big race – rather than the Silver or Bronze Cup – she should be running well this weekend whether she turns up.
Hopefully, based on her form in the book, the experienced mare can make use of her well-handicapped status in the Great St Wilfrid Handicap.
