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13:50 York
The opener on day two of York’s Ebor meeting sees the youngsters take centre stage in this Group 2 contest.
Although it’s perhaps a tad boring those looking for the winner shouldn’t face in any other direction than pointing straight at the favourite. The unbeaten Dramatised had been mightily impressive in both of her career starts to date. A winner of the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot last time she has the form in the book and looks to have a touch of class. Karl Burke’s runner looks hard to pass.
Godolphin’s representative Mawj has done little wrong in three starts to date and deserves to be the clear second favourite. Although she looks to be the second best horse on paper she makes little to no appeal from a betting perspective.
With fourteen runners heading to post I’m hoping there’s a few generous bookmakers offering four places and if so it might be worthwhile hunting down an each way alternative.
Stablemate to the race favourite is the Karl Burke trained Swingalong. She seems to be on an upward trajectory and has progressed with each run. She shook off her maiden tag with a convincing six length success at Ripon last time out and could sneak into a place of continuing to up her game once more.
Another trio worth noting are the unbeaten Queen Me and two Ascot placed horses Maria Branwell and Kinta.
Queen Me is yet to taste defeat but will need to have come on plenty for her sole run however if breeding was anything to go off she’d be a shoe in with her Dam, Granddam and Great Granddam all winning this race in the past. Trainer Kevin Ryan is in hot form and loves a winner here on the Knavesmire.
Maria Branwell is the one runner in the field that’s finished closest to the favourite previously. A third in the Queen Mary where she was only three lengths behind Dramatised looks rock solid form and she’s likely to improve for this extended trip.
Kinta went close behind the very talented Lezoo in a Group 3 contest most recently and a repeat of that performance should be enough to pick up prize money.
In all honesty I’m in two minds whether or not to ignore the favourite and look for each way value but with a case to be made for half of the field (outside of the market leader) I think, although the boring approach, sometimes it’s easier to just go for the best horse in the race. Dramatised should keep her 100% record intact.
DRAMATISED (WIN)
written by Rory Paddock
14:25 York
We’re sticking with the youngsters for race two where we see another set of two year olds also compete over six furlongs.
As mentioned in the previous race trainer Kevin Ryan is in blistering form of late and often saves his best for meetings such as this. With that in mind I’m going to side with one of his contenders but perhaps not the one you’d expect. Going off the betting alone you’d be safe to say Washington Heights would be the best of his chances however I look to his other runner Revision as a solid each way alternative. A second on debut in a race that’s had its form franked he went on to produce a battling display to win at Newcastle next time out. Of course he’ll need to improve further in what looks a tougher race but a return to turf should play into his hands and if the rain comes crashing down (like forecasts say it might) his chances would be even bigger. Worth a crack at a big price.
With a large field I’ve also found another worth backing at very attractive odds. Trainer Karl Burke looks to have a sure fire thing in the opener and the yard could be picking up more prize money in the following race on the card. The stable sends out the bottom weight Secret Angel. Another who claimed their maiden victory last time out and looks to build upon their most recent success. A solid enough performance saw her claim victory at Carlisle and although it wasn’t a mind blowing run she showed she still had plenty of room to progress and was still learning her job. With a weight allowance from her male rivals she might be seen to even better effect in a race of this nature. As with the other selection an outsider who could upset the apple cart.
REVISION (E/W)
SECRET ANGEL (E/W) written by Rory Paddock
15:00 York
An ultra competitive handicap, for which you could make a case for half of the field. Shelir is currently amongst those at the bigger prices, despite the fact he has some nice form and a good record at this track. He’s wonand placed over course and distance and prefers this ground. He’s been placed behind some classy horses in the past and if he can get over his first couple of runs this year, plus a bad draw, he could outrun his odds.
Cruyff Turn won this race last year, off a lower mark. He carries more today, which isn’t ideal but he might have had this race as his target. He won again over course and distance at the Dante meeting, defeating Brunch by a head. He ran creditably in the Bunbury Cup and might well be better for his return to this track. Given his record, he can’t be discounted.
Tyrrhenian Sea has long been a horse I’ve admired. He showed lots of promise on the All-Weather, winning three out of four starts before going down narrowly to Living Legend in the Easter Classic. The latter then went on to win a Group Two, so that price of form has worked out well. He wasn’t beaten far on his turf debut but was slightly disappointing, nevertheless, it was a fine field of four. Roger Varian is enjoying a fine patch and so is Andrea Atzeni. He might well enjoy conditions today and this could propel him into contention for the Cambridgeshire at the end of the season.
TYRRHENIAN SEA (WIN)
SHELIR (E/W)
written by Kieran McHugh
15:35 York
A high class renewal of the Yorkshire Oaks, with four Group One victors and a French ace all featuring in the stellar lineup. Raclette was talked about as a potential star of the flat season this year, however some underwhelming performances have left her climbing her way back up. She won a Group Two over this distance and although she’s on a comeback mission, it will be interesting to see how she gets on today.
Tuesday is an Oaks winner and has placed in two further classics. Her form is obviously top class, despite her big defeat in the Irish Derby at the hands of Westover. Aidan O’Brien has a fantastic record in this race, taking it the last two years with Love and the late Snowfall. Like Raclette, she has to bounce back but she may well prove this, now back against her own sex.
La Petite Coco has risen through the ranks to score a Group One victory for Paddy Twomey on her last start. She defied nearly a year off to score in the Pretty Polly Stakes, defeating My Astra by half a length. She’s done nothing wrong recently and is a prime candidate for this race. She holds a whole host of high class entries and it’s surprising that she isn’t contesting favouritism.
Alpinista is contesting the favourites spot for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and is the leading contender for this Oaks. She was second in the race two years ago, beaten five lengths behind Love. She’s come into her own since though, winning six races on the bounce, with four of those being at the highest level. She also defied nearly a year off to land the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in July, defeating a top field. She sets the standard and will look to enhance her credentials by proving herself as the top of her sex.
ALPINISTA (WIN)
written by Kieran McHugh
16:10 York
Ralph Beckett has been in good form lately and has booked Ryan Moore to ride Haskoy for this competitive fillies listed race. She’s very well bred, having a host of winners as relations. She was victorious on her debut, over today’s trip of a mile and four furlongs, storming home by seven lengths. She looked promising and might well be smart but she faces a stiff task on her second start.
Mimikyu is a George Strawbridge homebred, being a full sister to his Group One heroine Journey. She was disappointing on her debut but started to improve as a three year-old. She was a narrow second behind her stablemate Darmoiselle, on her first start but obliged the time after at Haydock. She just about beat fellow competitor Time Lock that day but was carrying far less weight. She made her handicap debut, last time out, scoring easily by six lengths. Although she won’t have a problem with the trip or ground, she has to prove herself on level weights today.
Golden Lyra represents the mighty duo of William Haggas and Tom Marquand. She was highly impressive on her debut, winning by five lengths. Of those left in her wake, one was the Gosden’s star filly Nashwa, who has played third in the Epsom Oaks, won the French Oaks and most recently the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood. She was beaten into second on her three year-old debut but maybe fitness had a part to play in that. She confirmed her star potential when blitzing them at Kempton. She’s entered into the Fillies’ and Mares on Champions Day and will look to stake her claim for that race today.
GOLDEN LYRA (WIN)
written by Kieran McHugh
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