York Ebor Festival Day 2 Tips: A trio to back on Thursday
Day one of the Ebor Festival of 2024 is now in the history books, so without further ado let's get stuck into Thursday's offering on Day 2! Billy Grimshaw has his three best bets on a packed afternoon on the Knavesmire...
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13:50 York - Lowther Stakes
It's not surprise to see impressive Queen Mary winner from Royal Ascot Leovanni heading the market here, and Karl Burke's Wathnan racing representative is definitely the form choice despite the fact she is untested at this six furlong trip. Five at Ascot is equivalent to five and a half at most other places and she hit the line hard at the Royal Meeting, so I'd be surprised if it is her stamina which costs her the win here.
This doesn't look a particularly deep renewal of this race, but there are dangers aplenty and the one I'll be siding with is second favourite HEAVENS GATE with Ryan Moore in the plate. Her latest win in a big field at Naas is not of the standard of Leovanni's Ascot win on paper, however the style in which she won the race indicated to me the penny has dropped for this well tried filly.
By Churchill, she will improve for further than this over time but I've been impressed by the speed she's shown thus far in her fledgling career. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ryan Moore try to hit the front early and issue a catch me if you can plea to the rest of the field. Of the rest, Betty Clover should get closer to the favourite than she did at Ascot with this step up in trip proven to suit her.
14:25 York - Harry's Half Million By Goffs Premier Yearling Stakes
Six furlongs on the Knavesmire is on the menu in race two and I'm against the co-favourites Maw Lam and Arizona Blaze. The former has missed the start once too many for me and as we've seen so far at York, you cannot afford to dawdle or your chance will be gone. The latter makes more appeal and would be my bet in a match race between the pair, however he is yet to really convince and I think his second to Whistlejacket recently may flatter hm recently. Giving weight away won't help his chances either.
Down the field we go then for a bet and I was drawn to AGAINST THE WIND at double figure odds each-way for Kevin Ryan. He likes to get on with things, as does stablemate American Style, and that's a run style I'm keen to be with at York this week. Ryan has a good record in this race and I think it's no coincidence his horse won well at Newcastle fifty four days ago and has not been seen since, indicating this has been a long term target.
His draw in 14 may not be ideal but hopefully Shane Gray gets off to a quick start and Against The Wind can get plenty out of their comfort zone with the pace he's shown previously when winning over five. There is pace galore in here but I'm not sure there's a faster horse than our lad, so hopefully he does the business and proves his stamina.
15:00 York - Clipper Handicap
David O'Meara has a belting record in this race - in no small part thanks to Blue For You who is here again and was tough to leave out of the staking plan - and the handler has six runners in this year's Clipper. The 2022 winner is O'Meara's second most likely winner judging by the early market, with New Image third favourite at 7/1. Of this duo I'd prefer Blue For You personally and although all of O'Meara's sextet will be primed for this day, I'm backing against the lot.
I'm also taking on favourite Elnajmm for Tom Marquand and William Haggas, despite accepting he is probably the horse in here with the most upside as a recent winner who is lightly raced and only four. HIs wide draw was enough to make me look elsewhere at the price of 11/4. At a whopping 25/1 Ian Jardine's new recruit MR KING will be carrying my cash in the hope he has acclimatised well to his new surroundings.
He was last seen running for Ger Lyons over in Ireland and was a very impressive winner of a handicap at Naas over a mile. Perhaps Lyons had him primed to the minute for that race in order to sell him on afterwards, but even so it was a pretty good performance considering how keen he was early on and if he repeats that here - albeit in a much tougher contest - I think he's got brilliant each-way claims.