Architect Tips gives his insight on day one of racing at the Ebor Festival, with a huge eight tips to cover day one.
13:50 York
View profit and loss, tipster profiles and get notifications when articles go live on the free oddschecker app. Download it here.
We welcome York’s four-day Ebor Festival meeting which gets under way on Wednesday and we start the card with an ultra-competitive sprint handicap - the Sky Bet And Symphony Group Handicap. Trainer David O’Meara is notable for targeting individuals on the Knavesmire’ and, interestingly, has had a participant from his team reach the frame in three of the last four runnings of this event with Danny Tudhope partnering all of them, too. They team up this year with course-specialist NOMADIC EMPIRE (best price 22-1), who has form figures of 3212 from four outings over track and trip and appeals most, each-way, at a double-figure price getting up to five and six places in the opener.
This three-year-old has yet to win this term, but he runs more good races than bad and his course record here backs that up. He was highly tried here as a two-year-old, in which he finished third on debut before filling the runner-up spot back here next time, albeit returning a beaten 1-2F chance. He then opened his account easily next time before running a creditable race at this meeting last year, where he finished a close-up third in the Julia Graves Roses Stakes (Listed). Although he remains winless since, his form has worked out strongly, including his half-a-length second to Winter Power in a listed event at Ayr, where he attempted to give the winner four-pounds in weight.
In addition, the winner is now one of the leading contenders for Friday’s Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes, the feature race on the card, so the form looks really solid. He has finished runner-up three times so far this term, including over course-and-distance from a 1Ib higher mark when just touched off by the highly-regarded Bedford Flyer, who is Group 1 bound according to his connections and David O’Meara’s charge was giving the winner five-pounds, too. He was then a close-up second at Doncaster from a four-pound higher mark and was far from disgraced off the same mark when ninth of 18 at Royal Ascot and actually won his side of the group from his unfavourable draw of stall one.
He arrives here having ran well to finish second back at Doncaster four days ago and, although you need plenty of luck in-running in these large-field handicaps, his form looks just about the strongest form on display on a line through his efforts here and when behind Bedford Flyer and Winter Power. He looks pretty well-handicapped on all that evidence and knowing that his trainer and jockey have combined to do well in this race year after year, with the likelihood of further improvement from this capable sprinter this season, Nomadic Empire rates interesting each-way value in the opener getting up to a generous six places.
In a race like this, with extra places on offer, I like to have two horses on my side. I will also be playing the former Ayr Silver Cup winner and very capable SNAZZY JAZZY (best price 33-1) in the hands of the champion, Oisin Murphy, and the price tag about him has significantly underestimated his chances here.
He’s yet to hit top form in three starts for current connections, but has shaped better than the bare results have indicated, including in the John Smith's City Walls Stakes (Listed) over today’s course-and-distance on his penultimate outing. That was a very good race for the grade which featured horses such as Winter Power, Urban Beat, Moss Gill and Dakota Gold who are all, undeniably, pattern-class horses. The six-year-old was sent off 50/1 but came home very strongly to finish fourth, one place in front of Dakota Gold who has boosted the form numerous times since that effort, while Winter Power has done the same and is one of the leading contenders for the feature race on Friday. He could only finish sixth at Ascot last time but he was given so much to do and those who like to be held-up often fare well at this venue.
The other time he competed over five-furlongs was when dominating a Group 3 in France when formerly trained by Clive Cox and besides that success, he’s generally tackled stiffer opposition in higher-graded affairs. He was rated as high as 110 in 2019/2020 and is rated nine-pound lower than when winning a listed event at Salisbury when rated 110 this time two years ago so he’s nicely treated here, while the booking of Oisin Murphy catches the eye. He’s drawn in stall four, in between two of the market leaders Hurricane Ivor and Desert Safari so he’ll probably track that pair and, with plenty going for him as regards to the positive jockey booking, the ground, the track and pattern-class form to draw upon, he’s an outsider who has the ability and back-class to run better than his current price suggests with five and six places widely on offer.
15:00 York
The Great Voltigeur Stakes has attracted a really strong field of eight with KEMARI (best price 4-1) heading the betting for the boys in blue.
He easily won his maiden at Yarmouth prior to taking the big step up in class in his stride when following up in Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot. He has a three-pound penalty to carry here but looks a top-class prospect in the making and the manner in which he saw off Wordsworth last time was impressive. This race will evidently provide a stiffer test to his credentials but further improvement forthcoming and, with this galloping-track likely to see him in even better light, he should take some beating under William Buick.
I cannot resist the available double-figure odds about SCOPE (best price 25-1), though, who is thought highly of by trainer Ralph Beckett and it’s very interesting to note that connections have taken this route stiffer route with him rather than take aim at a handicap given his initial well-treated mark of 95.
He will, of course, need improvement to come out on top here but this has likely been the main target having bypassed an alternative option Royal Ascot. He was last spotted running well behind Third Realm in the Derby trial on ground he wouldn’t have liked and was only a place behind Derby winner Adayar. That was only his third career outing and he still looked quite babyish and raw, as well as looking uncomfortable on the soft ground, but he kept on willingly under pressure to only be beaten seven-lengths and this track alongside the better ground should see an improved display. In fact, he beat none other than Derby runner-up Mojo Star on debut at Newbury, so the substance of his form looks really strong. We have to factor into some degree that this is a good strong renewal, but his form thus far is some of the best on offer and it wouldn’t come as a shock if he were to outrun his double-figure odds being the most over-priced participant in the line-up.
16:10 York
This looks extremely competitive, but it’s interesting to see David O’Meara pitch GET SHIRTY (best price 18-1) in here on debut in the UK, who returned a listed winner in France, as well as placing in a Group 2 behind top-stayer, Call The Wind, and given connections fine record at this meeting, this five-year-old might be good enough to hit the frame at the very least provided stall sixteen doesn’t cause too many problems.
He scored twice over 1m7f when trained in France, including a listed event and despite failing to match that form in three subsequent outings, he’s mostly occupied in Group events and ran with credit when sixth in the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak Stakes behind Subjectivist in October. That is high-class form when put in the context of this assignment and an opening mark of 98 looks exploitable. David O’Meara is no stranger to preparing one first time out at this meeting so, if this classy five-year-old can translate that form to the UK, he looks poised to showcase his qualities here with five places available under Danny Tudhope.
16:45 York
EY UP IT’S MAGGIE (best price 7-1) acquitted herself very well when third in a valuable event over 6f here on her penultimate outing in a race that has produced several winners since and, with the return to five-furlongs unlikely pose a problem, Tony Coyle’s speedy filly should take some catching on return to the Yorkshire venue which clearly plays to her strengths.
Tony Coyle’s likeable filly has really excelled this term since highly-tried last year, in which she performed admirably well in a Group 3 at Ayr and followed that up with an eighth of 21 in the William Hill Two Year Old Trophy, while her fourth over this course-and-distance next time was another solid performance considering her jockey had difficulty steering her inside the final furlong but she kept on nicely under a tentative ride to finish fourth before comfortably resuming winning ways at Carlisle, beating a few horses who have advertised the form. Her front-running third here on her penultimate outing deserved a great deal of praise as she fared best of those ridden prominently and kept on well once headed to only be beaten around a length behind a pair who have boosted the form since. That race was littered with horses rated much higher than her so it demonstrated the sort of form she’s in this term, while her third at Chester wasn’t a bad effort, either. Kieran Schofield is retained, claiming his regular five-pounds, and with course-form often deemed as a huge advantage here, she is certainly well handicapped to win a race of this calibre on return to this venue.
NOORBAN (best price 10-1) has rattled the crossbar on her last two visits at this venue and, with a strong pace likely to be on the cards, alongside the fitting of cheekpieces, which should see a positive outcome, she looks a serious each-way player.
An impressive winner on debut at Beverley last term, when clocking a big speed-figure, she was far from disgraced when seventh of 14 in the Group 2 Sky Bet Lowther Stakes this venue twelve months ago and impressed when scoring at Ayr in May this year, beating two recent subsequent winners in the process. She’s since finished runner-up three times, including twice at this venue over course-and-distance and her head second to Shepherds Way looks good form too, as the winner subsequently ran well to finish second in a listed event at Pontefract, while the fourth has won since, too. The assessor has dropped her a pound for her latest fine effort in defeat here and, with a strong pace guaranteed, everything looks to have aligned perfectly for her to potentially break her hoodoo at this track.
17:20 York
His metal was tested in higher-graded company on his penultimate outing, in the Group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket, where he acquitted himself very well for a long way before fading late on. He made it two wins from three outings prior to that stiff examination, looking impressive with his finishing effort. The high-drawn numbers might have a slight advantage in this concluding event on the opening day and he’s drawn in stall fourteen so he will avoid all the traffic difficulties. From my point of view, I don’t think this race is as strong as the large numbers suggest and Kevin Ryan has his team in good order, therefore, this smart youngster might be able to get heavily competitive at the business end of this easier assignment.
