York Day 3

It hasn't been a great week for the blog so far but hopefully the last day will see a turnaround in our fortunes. Meadway got us off to a rotten start with a poor run in the opener. I actually think that Victory Bond ran a much better race than his finishing position of 6th suggests in the Dante. He pulled furiously for a good two furlongs at the start of the race and he just refused to settle for Pat Cosgrave. I was amazed that he was still travelling so well 2f out and he angled out for what looked like a possible winning run. However, those early exertions took their toll and he faded in the last 150 yds. He obviously has lots of ability though and if he can learn to settle he is capable of winning a big race.

One Word More ran a cracker to be a fast finishing 3rd which at least meant the day wasn't a total disaster. Wind Place And Sho ran a desperately disappointing race but he is a better horse than he showed today. Perhaps he needs a bit of juice in the ground to be seen at his best. The Yorkshire Cup is the feature on the last day of the Dante meeting and it looks a competitive heat this year. Below are my thoughts for the third and final day of what has been a fantastic week of racing.

RACE 1

A class 3 handicap 5f sprint gets us off to a tricky start on Friday and going by results throughout the week a low draw is key. Only 15 go to post so there will be just 3 places for each way money, but some bookies will be paying out on 4 places so it will pay to shop around. The ground will be quick tomorrow after another dry and warm day today, and one horse that will appreciate the return to good to firm ground is Excessable for Tim Easterby and David Allan.

This 3yo son of Sakhee's Secret showed some very smart form last season and he has shown a distinct preference for a sound surface. He won his maiden on good to firm on debut at Ripon (5f) and he was a close 2nd to today's opponent Lydia's Place on his next start in a class 2 novice at Beverley (5f good to firm). He is over a stone better off with that rival today so he should reverse the form.

His best effort came in the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury, a race with over 120k going to the winner. He produced a cracking effort to finish 5th, just 2L behind the winner Lathom. His last three runs have not been to the same standard but he has been running on good to soft and soft ground and we could be set to see a better horse back on good to firm at York tomorrow. His draw in stall 8 is not disastrous and his jockey will have options from the start. This will be his first ever handicap on quick ground and he could be potentially well treated off 85 going by his Newbury form. I think he is worth an each way bet at odds of 16/1 for a yard that has it's horses in fine fettle.

STEVOS' SELECTION: EXCESSABLE E/W 16/1

RACE 2

Another sprint for the second race of the day and this time it is the turn of the fillies in the listed Marygate Stakes. Mark Johnston won it last year and he is doubly represented. He has the favourite Boater who will be ridden by Andrea Atzeni and she was very impressive on debut. Love Oasis is his other entry and De Sousa has been booked for the ride. She looks a less obvious winner but she showed promise on debut at Newmarket and the quicker ground at York could spark some improvement.

Another filly that won well on debut is Twizzell and at the prices she is a much more attractive betting proposition than the favourite. She was very impressive when hosing up by 4L at Beverley and while it mightn't have been the strongest of races she could only beat what was in front of her.

She has a lovely pedigree, being a daughter of Equiano and out of a winning (6f good to firm) Green Desert dam that is a half sister to a Group 1 placed mare. Ann Duffield is a shrewd operator and she wouldn't be aiming her at this race unless she thought she was capable of picking up some all important black type. She is drawn wide, but that is not too big of a hindrance with only 10 runners in the field. She is the 12/1 each way selection in an intriguing listed fillies heat.

STEVOS' SELECTION: TWIZZELL E/W 12/1

RACE 3

Another listed fillies race, this time over 8f, and it is hard to oppose the favourite who was placed at Group 1 level last year. However, she has been off the track for 196 days and her fitness has to be taken on trust. She is head and shoulders above the rest of these on the ratings though and even if she is 90% fit she should have too much class for this field.

However, I am not in the business of tipping up even money shots and the each way alternative for me is the Clive Cox trained Our Joy. She is a beautifully bred filly and she went mightily close on debut behind the useful Kassia at Sandown (5f good to firm). Clive Cox obviously holds her in high regard as she was pitched into Group 3 company on her 2nd start. She came up short but it could have been too much too soon for the daughter of Kodiac.

She was next seen finishing 4th in a maiden on the all weather at Wolves (6f) and she stayed on really well late in the day. She was upped half a furlong in trip on her handicap debut at Doncaster (6.5f good) on her next run and she ran another cracker to be 5th, again shaping as though she needed further. She was 3rd next time behind the useful Mix And Mingle in a competitive handicap at Newmarket (7f good) off 77 and she then dropped back into maiden company to get a win on the board at Lingfield (7f).

She is a half sister to dual Group 1 winner over 8f Xtension, so she is bred to be a black type filly. This is her first run back of the season so stakes should be kept low, but Cox has his string in super form and Our Joy should be primed for action tomorrow. She is the each way suggestion at 33/1 in a race where the favourite should prove hard to beat.

STEVOS' SELECTION: OUR JOY E/W 33/1


RACE 4

The Group 2 Yorkshire Cup is the feature race on the final day of the Dante meeting and 6 horses will go to post in this 14f heat. That is not good news for each way backers like myself and it is a race that I will be sitting out. Clever Cookie has been a fine servant to connections but the ground might be a bit lively for him tomorrow. He is definitely at his best with a bit of cut.

At a price Glaring is interesting on his 2L 4th in a Group 2 over this trip on good ground at Longchamp last season. He was well beaten over 2m in a Group 3 at Ascot on his UK debut but the good to soft ground wouldn't have suited and he may well have needed the run. A much better run could be forthcoming back on better ground tomorrow and if I was forced to have a bet it would be on him at 20/1. With only 6 in the field I'll just be watching and hopefully we get to see an exciting race.

RACE 5

This 12f class 2 handicap is a competitive race and 10 are due to go to post. Barsanti is the market leader at 9/4 for Varian and Atzeni after a couple of impressive all weather wins at Chelmsford (10f) and Kempton (11f) off marks of 75 and 85 respectively. However, he has yet to show form anywhere near as good as that on turf and he is short enough upped to a mark of 96.

The one horse that appeals as possibly being overpriced is the Richard Fahey trained bottom weight Innocent Touch.This 5yo son of Intense Focus has been a consistent horse for connections and he had a number of near misses in handicaps at around this trip last season. He won a novice hurdle during the winter but his last flat win came back in 2014 at Doncaster (12f good to firm) in a handicap off a mark of 70.

Last season he ran three excellent races here over course and distance on ground ranging from good to good to soft. He was beaten less than a length off a mark of 83 on his last run here and he is only 3lb higher today. He was well beaten on his seasonal reappearance (13f soft) but he has usually needed a run to blow away the cobwebs. Dropped back to 12f and returned to faster ground an improved showing could be forthcoming with that run behind him, and he is the each way selection at odds of 16/1 off a nice low racing weight.

STEVOS' SELECTION: INNOCENT TOUCH E/W 16/1

RACE 6

Breakable is the one to be interested in here for Tim Easterby, who has another fascinating contender in Azagal. 11 go to post in this 7f handicap and it looks an open race. Azagal is undeniably well treated but I think 7f around here might be a bit short for him and his last win came over 8.5f at Doncaster. Breakable, on the other hand, is a 7f specialist and he will be well suited by the good to firm ground at York tomorrow.

He has course form in the book and he was an excellent 3rd here last October (7f) off 82 on ground that was plenty soft enough for him. His last two runs over this trip on his preferred quick ground came at Chester and Catterick last summer and they both resulted in wins off 76 and 78. He will be racing off 82 tomorrow and he showed last season that he can be competitive off that mark. Rachel Richardson takes off another handy 5lb and she will be looking to get a good start and race in a prominent position. If things pan out for Breakable he is capable of producing a big run and he is the each way selection at odds of 10/1.

STEVOS' SELECTION: BREAKABLE E/W 10/1

RACE 7

Last but not least is a class 4 12f handicap and it is a difficult get out of jail race for punters. I am going to side with the bottom weight here and Sporty Yankee is an interesting contender on his 2nd handicap start for Karl Burke. He didn't pull up any trees in three maiden runs but he showed definite promise, especially on his first run when he stayed on nicely over 7f on good ground at Newcastle. He was stepped up to 12f for his handicap debut on soft ground on his seasonal comeback at Beverley and it was a very encouraging effort off 65.

He was 3rd of 4 but he was beaten just 3L and it was a decent effort on his return to action. A lot of Karl Burke's horses have been needing their first outings of the season so he should be a lot fitter tomorrow. His sire Paddy O' Prado showed his best form on a quick surface and his pedigree suggests that a quicker surface should suit him well. I think he will prove to be a lot better than his current mark of 65 in time and I am willing to chance that he will show a lot more at York tomorrow. He is the each way selection for the lucky last at odds of 16/1.

STEVOS' SELECTION: SPORTY YANKEE E/W 16/1