Saturday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

There has been no three-year-old winner of the Bunbury Cup since 1998 but I am hoping SAMBURU (best priced at 4/1) can defy that trend this year. The well-bred John & Thady Gosden trained colt won his first three career starts before finishing a close 6th in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Samburu was only beaten three lengths that day by the winner Noble Truth despite racing keenly in the early stages. Those early exertions meant he weakened late on but it was a career best run on RPRs. The handicapper has raised the son of Kingman 8lbs up to a mark of 105 but he gets to run here off his previous mark of 97 which makes him 8lbs “well in” at the weights.

I feel Perfect Power is a worthy favourite for this race following his Royal Ascot win but at the prices I am going to take a chance on the mare DOUBLE OR BUBBLE (best priced at 66/1). The Chris Wall trained five-year-old is a two-time course winner on the Rowley Mile course including on her reappearance in the Group 3 Abernant Stakes when she beat Garrus by a short head.

Like her sister Mix And Mingle, Double Or Bubble loves this rattling fast ground as she showed when finishing only 3 ¼ lengths behind Naval Crown in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. With bookmakers offering up to five places on the race, I feel she is worth backing at a wild price.

WINTER POWER (best priced at 11/4) has a fantastic record at York in her career with form figures of 6111 including when victorious in this race last season. She received both age and sex allowances last year which she will be without this year but she will no doubt be suited by this return to York.

Following her victory in this race last year, Winter Power won the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes over this course and distance before disappointing at both the Curragh and Longchamp. She has run below form at both Haydock and Ascot so far this season but the return to York will hopefully spark her back to form and I expect her to prove hard to beat.

The John McConnell trained MARICRUZ (best priced at 28/1) won the apprentice handicap on this card last season and now looks well handicapped off an 8lb lower mark. The seven-year-old mare has been disappointing on her starts so far this season but that has meant she has dropped down to an attractive handicap mark.

Maricruz finished only five lengths behind the winner L’Un Deux Trois at Limerick last month when sent off an unfancied 33/1 shot and the handicapper has generously dropped her a further 2lbs for that run. She won off a mark of 70 last season and is now down to a mark of 62 so she looks worth taking a chance on with regular rider Siobhan Rutledge back on board and up to six places available.