York Ebor Festival Tips Today: Day 2 Most Backed Bets Through Oddschecker

TIP 1: STAR OF STATE - 1pt WIN

Best odds of 5/2 at the time of writing.

Yesterday's card was a reminder of just how much softer ground can shuffle the pack, and with most of this Lowther field yet to race on ground with this much give in it, there's an element of the unknown to weigh up. That said, pedigree offers a useful clue here: STAR OF STATE is bred by a sire who handled testing conditions well himself, which lends some confidence to Joseph O'Brien's decision to supplement this filly at a cost of 20k for the race.

Her CV so far is short but tells a good story. She was turned over on debut at Fairyhouse by a rival who has since franked that form emphatically, and the manner of that defeat looked more down to inexperience than any lack of ability. She then took that experience into a Leopardstown maiden and made every yard, backing up the visual impression with the sort of time that suggests she's ready for a step up into pattern company. A favourable draw and stamina to spare over today's trip round off a profile that makes her hard to leave out of calculations in this Group 2.

TIP 2: SUN GODDESS - 1pt WIN

Best odds of EVENS at the time of writing.

SUN GODDESS looks to have a serious edge on the field in this £293k sales race for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore. Five runs and a form line of 21211 tell their own story, but it's the last two starts that really stand out - a Group 2 win followed by a Group 1 success in the Phoenix Stakes against the colts at the Curragh, earning her a rating of 114 in the process.

History suggests this is no formality even for a horse this good - only eight horses rated 100-plus have run in this race over the last decade, and every one of them has been beaten, including a Group 1-placed runner as recently as 2024. But Sun Goddess arrives 7lb clear of this field on adjusted ratings despite a penalty, having won that Phoenix Stakes in good time. An 11-day turnaround is on the sharp side, though O'Brien has previous with quick returns paying off in races just like this. She tends to race handily too, which should help make light of a wide draw. On what she's shown so far this season, she's simply a cut above these on form.

TIP 3: KALPANA - 1pt WIN

Best odds of 5/4 at the time of publishing.

KALPANA put up a big performance to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes last time out, a result that gives her a clear class edge over this field and makes her the top-rated runner in the race. The main question is whether that big effort has come at a cost so soon before today's test, but with Andrew Balding's yard in red-hot form, having landed yesterday's Group 1 on the card, there's every reason for confidence that she arrives in the right shape to follow up.

TIP 4: CAIM - 1pt EW

Best odds of 8/1 at the time of posting.

CAIM looks the each-way price of the day in the 5:20 at York. She's shown her best form when there's cut in the ground, and with the surface sitting on good to soft in places today, conditions look tailor-made for her. David Tudhope's booking adds further confidence, and there's a strong case she can outrun her odds in what looks a competitive handicap.

The big question is whether Caim can translate her previous form into her first handicap outing, with Ed Bethell's three-year-old filly starting off a mark of 89 over 7f. That opening mark may ultimately prove decisive, but the expected ground gives plenty of hope that she can put in a big run.

Her pedigree also offers encouragement. Caim's dam, Prado, finished second – albeit beaten seven lengths – on soft ground in Goodwood's Prestige Stakes in 2020. On the figures, that was arguably the second-best performance of her career, providing another reason to believe Caim should be suited by today's conditions.

With the ground likely to play to her strengths, a potentially workable opening handicap mark and Tudhope in the saddle, Caim has plenty going for her. At the current each-way price, she's worth taking a chance on to outrun her odds.