Thursday 22nd August 2019

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Author: Jordan Yates

Image: Jordan Yates

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The action gets underway at 1:55pm on Day 2 of the Ebor Festival and it’s the Group 2 Lowther Stakes that kicks things off. This particular race is a sprint over five furlongs and I believe the race revolves around one horse who is my idea of the winner here and that’s the John Quinn trained LIBERTY BEACH. She’s won four of her five starts this season and has gone from strength to strength with each outing culminating with a win in the Group 3 Molecamb Stakes. Looking through the rest of the line up here it’s hard to find anything that can match the level of form of that the market principal has shown so far with main danger seemingly coming from Ascot Group 3 winner Under The Stars.

WIN: LIBERTY BEACH (13/8)

The second race of the afternoon on Day 2 takes place at 2:25 and is the Goffs Premier Yearling Stakes which is a Class 2 affair that’s ridden over six furlongs. As ever the race has attracted a sizeable field of which several have made my shortlist, these include Show Me Show Me who sets a solid standard at the top of the market. Fleeting Prince for Charles Hills who will likely bounce back from a poor run in Group company. Also outsider Cheat could go well for Richard Hannon as he’s one that’s made steady progress with each outing. The one I’ve actually took a chance on here though who’s a big price is BARBARELLA for Kevin Ryan and Shane Gray. She’s another that has made steady progress with each effort this season and was last seen when finishing second in a Fillies Maiden at Leicester. This requires an obvious considerable step up but the yard have a good record in this and in an very open affair she could well get involved at a big price.

EACH WAY: BARBARELLA (28/1)

Moving onto the third contest at 3:00 which is the Clipper Logistics Handicap a Class 2 affair that’s contested over a mile and in this particular race I’ve taken a chance on two selections. This is another trademark York handicap, big field and very competitive with Kynren being somewhat a permanent fixture in such types of races which see’s him the market leader. My duo are at slightly bigger prices as each way alternatives though and the first of these is BALTIC BARON for David O’Meara. He’s been slightly unfortunate for the yard so far however he’s often give the impression that he has a big prize in him and he ran well here on his penultimate outing, a big run would be no shock. My other pick here is my old favourite FIRMAMENT also for David O’Meara. I always fancy him to go well at York as he seems to really appreciate it around here as he showed when winning here two starts ago. He followed up with a fine effort at Ascot and he’ll likely give his running on the Knavesmire once more.

EACH WAY: BALTIC BARON (9/1)

EACH WAY: FIRMAMENT (12/1)

The feature race of the afternoon takes place at 3:35 and is none other than the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks which is contested over a mile and four furlong and it’s almost impossible to oppose the almighty ENABLE here. She’s cemented herself as one of the greatest of all time and she looks set to give her fans one last show on home soil before attempting to win a third consecutive Arc. York does have somewhat of a reputation for being a graveyard for hot favourites but it really is hard to envisage anything other than an Enable victory here. Her main rival in the betting is Magical who she’s beaten three times already and making up the four runner field is stablemate Lah Ti Dar and another O’Brien contender in South Sea Pearl. None of these should be spoiling the party and the Queen of the Turf can strut her stuff one more time.

WIN: ENABLE (2/7)

Following on from the feature at 4:15 is a Listed contest in the British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes which also takes place over a mile and four furlongs. The Irish seem to be dominating the market in this with Search For A Song for Dermot Weld and Frosty for Aidan O’Brien both sitting at the top of the betting and both look obvious big players here. I’ve taken them on though and I’ve done that with the Willam Haggas trained FRANKELLINA who’s a horse who’s been seemingly disappointing this term after looking so promising at the beginning of the season. She was third here the last day in Listed company when fancied to win but that was a decent effort, she’s ran well here before that when second in the Musidora in May and a return to that sort of form would see her bang there. It might be too soon to completely write her off just yet.

EACH WAY: FRANKELLINA (11/2)

The concluding race on the card takes place at 4:50 and it’s a Class 2 Handicap over seven furlongs and the one I like here is another William Haggas horse this time in the form of MUBTASIMAH. She’s been in fine form since a lay off winning here last three outings and it’s likely there’s still more progression to come from her. Another bold showing here would be no surprise with James Doyle in the saddle.

WIN: MUBTASIMAH (11/2)