Wednesday Horse Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

This looks a competitive Class 2 handicap to open the Dante festival but preference goes to MARHABA THE CHAMP (best priced at 9/2) who has very little question marks on his reappearance.

The Kevin Ryan trained five-year-old is 2/2 at York in his career with a victory at this meeting last season on his reappearance before winning over this course and distance in August off a mark of 91 by 1 ½ lengths. He beat Bague D’Or that day who has boosted the form since and is now rated 8lbs and Marhaba The Champ runs here off only a 6lb higher mark. 

Marhaba The Champ has been gelded over the winter, is unbeaten at the track, has good form fresh and should still be competitively handicapped off a mark of 97 so I expect him to prove hard to beat despite the rain slightly hindering his chances.

There is no doubt that DAKOTA GOLD (best priced at 25/1) isn’t the force of old but this return to York where he has a good record could spark him back to form. The Michael Dods trained ten-year-old has form figures of 12111211047 over 5½f and 6f here including when defying odds of 18/1 to win this two years ago off a mark of 98. He was only beaten three lengths in the race last year when 7th off a mark of 104 and is now rated only 84 this year. 

Dakota Gold ran well up to a furlong out last time at Doncaster before weakening into 8th and if connections have been targeting him at this race then he could have taken a couple of runs to peak for this. Bookmakers are offering up to seven places and it would be disappointing not to see him involved in the finish off this mark.

With last year’s winner Azure Blue apparently in need of the run on her first start since the July Cup last season, preference goes to MONTASSIB (best priced at 13/2) who was given a fantastic ride by Cieran Fallon to win on his reappearance. The William Haggas trained six-year-old has proved a revelation since dropping to 6f with three wins from four starts including a course and distance victory on his final start last season on soft ground in a 22 runner handicap.

That was off a mark of 101 before making a winning reappearance in the listed Cammidge Trophy beating the reopposing Marshman by a neck.

With the benefit of a recent run over both Azure Blue and Swingalong and with no question marks about the ground if more rain arrives this morning, Montassib looks sure to run well with up to five places available. 

The John & Thady Gosden stable have a fantastic record in this race with victories in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2023 and the unbeaten FRIENDLY SOUL (best priced at 8/11) should be able to maintain her unbeaten record in this contest. She made a winning debut at Kempton in December before defying a market drift to make a winning reappearance in the listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket at a time when a lot of the stable’s runners were needing their first run of the season. 

Friendly Soul beat the well backed Kalpana that day by 1 ¼ lengths with the pair pulling 12 lengths clear of the third and she is expected to step forward from that effort. She is 5lbs clear of Classical Song on ratings as well as having the benefit race fitness over that rival and it would be disappointing if she were beaten.