York Ebor Festival Day 3 Tips 2023: Four To Back On Friday

After a frustrating day on Thursday with his through the card tips, Billy Grimshaw is on a bounce back mission and has got you covered with his best bets across Friday's races at the York Ebor Festival. One of the best days in the flat racing calendar with both the Lonsdale Cup and Nunthorpe capturing the imagination, our man has a pick in each of the feature races as well as a couple more selections...

13;50 York - SkyBet Heritage Handicap

Wootton’Sun will have plenty of neutrals cheering him home here as the likeable former Champion Jockey Paul Hanagan has announced this Richard Fahey runner will be the last ride of his glittering career. Upon that announcement a few days ago a few savvy punters managed to get on this Wootton Bassett gelding at much bigger prices but although he has his chance, particularly on the back of finishing just a head behind the progressive Scampi, I’m happy enough to swerve him.

Alan King’s runner PARADIAS is the one I am keen to side with here and it was a pleasant surprise to see some firms offering double figures about this son of Kodiac. That’ll do nicely each-way as I think there are bundles to recommend Rossa Ryan’s mount in this contest. Admittedly he ran below his best at Goodwood but that can easily be excused due to the horrid ground that day and in every run this season, even when successful, he has given the impression a step up in trip will suit.

This race looks sure to be run at a good clip and Rossa Ryan will be happy enough sitting midfield on Paradias, who to my eye looks certain to see out and relish the trip. Back on ground he likes and hopefully over his optimum distance, back him each-way to get us off to the perfect start.

14:25 York - Lonsdale Cup

A fascinating rematch between plenty of the Goodwood Cup contenders looks set to take place in the Lonsdale Cup, with connections of everything bar Quickthorn probably still smarting from being outfoxed by Tom Marquand at Glorious Goodwood.

Anyone who pays the slightest bit of attention to flat racing knows how Quickthorn wins his races, indeed he did the same in this race last year, yet somehow a stellar field of riders allowed Marquand to build up an eventually unassailable lead to claim the Goodwood Cup and cause something of a shock. If he does it again on Friday the jockeys in behind will face even greater criticism, but the punters backing Hughie Morrison’s charge won’t be quite as handsomely rewarded.

At the time of writing he is in a three way joust for favouritism with Coltrane and COURAGE MON AMI. The trio are all around the 3/1 mark for glory on the Knavesmire, with Giavellotto and Broome certainly not no-hopers at under 10/1 as well completing the five strong field. I’ve always been a big Broome fan and don’t think he should be the outsider here, but it is the Ascot Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami I am siding with to bounce back here for the Gosdens and Frankie.

The connections are of course no strangers to Lonsdale Cup glory after years of triumph with Stradivarius and although Courage Mon Ami was disappointing in sixth at Goodwood last time out, Frankie simply had a day to forget in the saddle and nothing bar Quickthorn was seen to best effect. The jockeys surely won’t allow Marquand to repeat the feat here and in a race that should be run in a much more standard style, I think Courage Mon Ami is a class apart. He may not have the York form of Quickthorn but I imagine he’ll enjoy this track more than Goodwood, while he is also still young and improving so the upside is there. With Frankie already back to his best on Mostahdaf earlier in the week, I’ll back him for redemption on the Gold Cup hero.

15:00 York - Gimcrack Stakes

Kylian ran with credit on ground he hated at Glorious Goodwood to eventually finish third to Big Evs, but he has lost the services of Ryan Moore here who is saddled up on JOHANNES BRAHMS for Ballydoyle. Clifford Lee is a worthy replacement on Sir Michael’s two year old with turbo but I am convinced there is an outstanding prospect lurking somewhere inside Aidan O’Brien’s sole representative here.

Big Evs is also the horse that scuppered our pick at Royal Ascot in the Windsor Castle but there was absolutely no disgrace in that performance and indeed stepping up to six furlongs here at York looks absolutely perfect for this son of Siyouni. At Ascot he hit the line hard and won his Group with authority, so the extra furlong will help him at least as much as Kylian.

They dominate the market but there are plenty of unexposed well bred sorts in here and King’s Gamble did look a tad out of the ordinary on debut about a month ago when winning with ease. This is a serious step up in class though and I’d be surprised if he can best the top two in the betting. Action Point looks a lovely prospect for Hollie Doyle and Archie Watson and could be a nice each-way angle into the race as he should grab the lead and has shown his ability to make all, but I think he’ll just set the race up perfectly for the big two to battle it out.

15:35 York - Nunthorpe Stakes

Nothing I’ve seen since penning my York antepost preview (read here if you’d like to see the original case) has put me off the claims of  REGIONAL for Nunthorpe glory. Highfield Princess is the reigning champion and is the right favourite, but she was beaten fair and square by Bradsell in the King’s Stand earlier this year. Both are cracking sprinters but I’m still convinced Regional is massively on the up and can take a step past both market leaders.

Big Evs, as we discussed when previewing the previous race, is a sprinter of huge potential but will struggle as a two-year-old in against these experienced campaigners. Our pick Regional of course beat Equilateral last time out, who did the form claims no harm by winning a competitive handicap that opened proceedings here at York for 2023 off top weight. 

Regional is in the form of his life and Ed Bethel’s sprinter is a C&D winner. Despite being five he is still unexposed and lightly raced, so with extra places on offer he remains a strong each-way selection even at a slightly shorter price than I put up last week.