ITV Racing Tips: Best Bets For York, Sandown And Chester On Saturday 13 June

The Saturday before Royal Ascot is often, predictably, a more low-key affair than most and this York, Sandown and Chester offering is certainly no exception. Nevertheless, there are a few betting opportunities that stick out to Billy Grimshaw and here he makes the case for his three best bets...

14:10 Chester - Ladbrokes Get More With Racing Bet Builder Handicap

Just one race is set to be broadcast on ITV from Chester on Saturday and I think favourite backers will be in clover come quarter past two; I really like William Haggas' MASKED WARRIOR for this. His win last time out at Kempton was a huge step up on his seasonal debut and given his connections, one suspects he will have plenty up his sleeve here on handicap debut. Chester on good to soft ground should suit and his low draw is a positive, albeit not as markedly as it would be over sprint trips. I'm hopeful Harry Davies is positive on him and the cheekpieces staying on certainly indicates that will be the plan. He is my best Saturday bet.

The danger, unsurprisingly at Chester, comes from top course trainer Andrew Balding and he is doublehanded in here with Comic Hero and Sir Albert both warranting respect. I would be more afraid of the former as I liked what he did at Newmarket when just touched off at the start of May. He does seem to want the ground rattling quick, however, so any more rain would be a negative in the north west whereas for our selection, the ground is no concern.

Sir Albert, on the other hand, has to bounce back from a Carlisle flop last time out but will enjoy the fact the word firm is nowhere near the going description given how much he seemed to detest racing on it up in the north east. A line through that run would see him in the mix, albeit I don't think anything in the field will be able to live with Masked Warrior if he runs to the level I believe him to be capable of.

14:42 Sandown - Scurry Stakes

There's no doubt Words Of Truth sets the standard here for Charlie Appleby, William Buick and Godolphin, however the yard and indeed the huge ownership group have not been flying of late an with another in the royal blue silks Military Code in the field and getting closer and closer in the market to the favourite, I am wondering if more important targets lie ahead for the favourite. If he runs to the level he showed last year in winning the Mil Reef amongst other races he'll be too good for this field, but I am not willing to take 2/1 to find out how fit he is.

Military Code is his stablemate and has Billy Loughnane in the plate on his reappearance, with the weight of money behind him definitely something worth considering. Whether that means there's not much between them at home or that one is more primed for this than the other, only time will tell, but it'd be a mighty performance were this lad to win first time out off just shy of 300 days off the track. Frustratingly, I missed the early prices on this race as apparently some firms were farcically big at 20/1 on my fancy LADY YOUMZAIN, who still makes a bundle of each-way appeal at 8/1.

There could certainly be a school of thought that she has the second best form in this race behind the favourite on her Haydock third last time out, a race in which she finished third and four lengths off the winner. That does not tell the full story, however, as that contest was over six furlongs and she was blazing the trail in the lead until nearly the furlong marker before clearly tiring. Back to a fast five here, she could take an almighty amount of pegging back and I would be pretty disappointed if a repeat of her Haydock exploits does not see us at the least picking up place money.

15:00 York - Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes

Al Qareem is the market leader here but is a horse I am always itching to take on, which has at times been a strategy that has bitten me in the backside. One such occasion was in this race last season, when he was deeply impressive off the front end as an all the way winner at 9/2, stuffing evens favourite Absurde in the process. His record around York is very good and a repeat performance may well be all he needs here, however at around 2/1 I don't want him onside. His last run would set alarm bells ringing if he were mine and although there is an excuse in that Chester is a very different test to York, I'd want to see him bounce back before supporting him at that kind of price.

Mount Atlas is next in the market and beat Al Qareem fair and square at Chester last time out, but I am also ignoring him as I really like third favourite EPIC POET, with Ryan Moore's booking a huge positive. Like Al Qareem, he has an excellent record here on the Knavesmire and the rain softened good ground will be absolutely tailor-made for him. I actually think he should've won on reappearance at Sandown in a Group 3 last time out, when giving away first run and then finding himself with nowhere to go when attempting to mount a challenge. David O'Meara clearly has him as fit and well as ever and with a bit more luck in running here, he is the one they all have to beat to my eye.

I'd hate to see Al Qareem get a soft lead as he did in the race last year but if there's any man to judge pace in the saddle on your fancy, it's Ryan Moore and with Epic Poet also in receipt of five pounds from the favourite, he makes much more betting appeal at around the 7/2 mark. Gregory could be the fly in the ointment if bouncing back to his best but has looked a horse sick of racing of late, while Roaring Legend could actually be more important to the race than his odds suggests if he goes to the front and lights Al Qareem up early. Hopefully he does and Epic Poet pounces!