York Ebor Festival Day 4 Tips: Three To Back On Final Day
It feels like the Ebor Festival has flown by this year and with Saturday almost upon us, Day Four promises to bring an unforgettable ending to a fantastic week once again on the Knavesmire. We have our final batch of through the card tips right here...
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13:50 York - Strensall Stakes
This looks a hugely trappy affair to get us started on the final day at York's Ebor Festival, and I was all set to give it a miss from a tipping and betting point of view. However, I didn't expect ALYANAABI to be second favourite and so with 7/2 on offer he's worth supporting. See The Fire did absolutely nothing wrong when just denied in a good Nassau by Opera Singer at Glorious Goodwood and although she hasn't won in a while, she has put in plenty of good efforts so warrants her place as one of the market leaders.
Enfjaar too is a fine horse and his John Smiths' Cup win here a while back is excellent course form to bring to the table, for all that was a handicap and this is a tougher Group 3. However, I don't think either of the two mentioned after Alyanaabi have anything like the potential of Jim Crowley's mount and although some will be disappointed with what he's done so far this season, I think today's trip could be the making of him.
He was beaten fair and square in the 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes, however he was not disgraced in either and showed sprinklings of his ability with his powerful run style. He was then stepped up to ten furlongs but that seemed to just push him a bit too far, with his tank emptying in the dying strides at Goodwood last time out. This trip of 1m177y should be right up his street and if Crowley can get his horse out of the gates alertly, he could be tough to catch.
14:25 York - Melrose Handicap
Dramatic Star heads the market here and deserves to be respected, despite his loss at Haydock last time out. He was all the rage in the betting before that race and slipped before meeting trouble and losing all chance, but putting a line through that and looking back to his prior run at Hamilton showed a horse with a fair bit of ability. William Haggas has a fine record in this race and it'd be no surprise to see his inmate run a big race, but I'm looking at one at a bigger price.
Tom Clover's TABLETALK has been completely dismissed here at 20/1 in places, but despite being totally outclassed in the Derby - in which there is no disgrace - he ran with immense credit in my eyes for third last time out at Ascot. Insanity who finished second was sent off favourite for his race on Friday at York and although he disappointed, he had won since finishing second that day to another smart runner in Mount Atlas. Tabletalk gave both something to think about before just weakening out of things as the race developed.
A step up in trip may not on paper look exactly what he needs, however on all his runs so far he has pressed the leaders and been buzzy in the early stages. The more sedate pace here may well calm him down and allow Oisin Murphy to find more of a rhythm with his mount. He is no 20/1 shot in my eyes and while this race does look competitive, he warrants each-way support.
16:10 York - Constantine Handicap
Last week I was against old boy SUMMERGHAND in the Great St Wilfrid at Ripon, but with him showing all his old class and guts to get third in that race and with a delicious racing weight of just eight stone eight here, he rates a bet at 8/1. He has been harder to win with this season than the last few, but he scooped this pot in 2023 and 2022 in arguably his best performances of both seasons. This race looks winnable again and even a slight drop off from his last two winning runs will see him there or thereabouts.
His low draw in six is ideal as there is pace all around him to drag him into the race, so while I respect the claims of a few in here - particularly favourite Billyjoh up just one pound for a fine Stewards' Cup third last time out - I do think Summerghand rates one of the most likely winners and as always, is as near to a placing certainty as we are going to get. 9/1 is available at the time of writing and while I wouldn't want him to go anywhere north of 7/1 for betting purposes, I wouldn't be surprised if he went off favourite given his profile and obvious claims.