York Ebor Festival Day 2 Tips

York’s Ebor Festival continues on Thursday with a fantastic card that centres around the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks. In anticipation of a top day’s racing, our Racing Editor has produced previews and selections for all SEVEN races on day two of the meeting. Check this out below, alongside an exclusive Unibet offer, which provides £40 Money Back as bonus if your first bet loses.

DRAMATISED – (1:50 York, Sky Bet Lowther Stakes) Evs

Whilst she’s got a winner’s penalty to carry, DRAMATISED looks all class and can claim this race for the 2019 Lowther winning connections.

Karl Burke’s daughter of Showcasing looked useful when bolting up in a Newmarket novice on debut in April, and she confirmed the promise shown there when justifying favouritism to land the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot next time.

Whilst that Queen Mary form has admittedly received a couple of knocks since, Dramatised was well on top at the line and pulled clear despite her jockey dropping his whip approaching the final furlong.

Connections have resisted a tilt at the Nunthorpe in favour of this prize, which looks the sensible play, especially as Dramatised should have improvement to come now tackling 6f. She can get favourite backers off to a flying start with victory here.

REDEMPTION TIME – (2:25 York, Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling Stakes) 12/1

The Hannon stable has a fine record in this event and that makes Shouldvebeenaring, their sole representative in this year’s renewal, of obvious interest.

He’s only had the two starts so far, however, and this tends to go to a horse with more experience, with REDEMPTION TIME instead favoured.

Clive Cox’s colt is by the stable’s former sprinting star Harry Angel, and he’s posted steadily progressive RPRs in a four-race career to date.

Redemption Time was outclassed in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot last time, but he’d have undoubtedly finished closer there but for being completely stopped in his run half a furlong out. This represents quite a significant drop in class for Redemption Time, and although he does have a high head carriage there appears nothing wrong with his constitution, as he showed when landing a Bath novice on penultimate run.

There’s stamina in Redemption Time’s pedigree on his dam’s side, which suggests he could improve for this step up to 6f, and therefore at the prices he looks worth siding with.

York Racecourse,
Knavesmire Rd,
York,
North Yorkshire YO23 1EX.
United Kingdom.

York Racecourse

Known as ‘The Knavesmire’, racing has been staged over this turf since 1731 and is without question one of the most attractive racecourses in the world. The highlight of each season is the prestigious three-day Ebor Meeting in August which features three Group 1 races. The Dante Meeting in May, also over three days, is another immensely popular fixture featuring a mix of classic trials, pattern races for older horses and top-class handicaps.

BOOSALA – (3:00 York, Clipper Logistics Handicap) 10/1

A typically competitive renewal of this heritage handicap, but if there is one in this lineup with the potential to be better than a handicapper it is likely BOOSALA.

William Haggas’s 5yo posted a huge RPR of 112 when going agonisingly close in a Chester handicap on penultimate run, where he flew home from the back of the field on a track which favours front runners.

He failed to justify favouritism at Newcastle subsequently, where he just appeared to get tapped for toe when the pace quickened. Going back up to a mile on his return to turf looks a big plus on that evidence, and it’s worth noting that the Newcastle form has been boosted by the second since.

Godolphin’s Shining Blue had looked useful prior to bombing out in the Golden Mile and if the addition of a hood has a positive effect he might be the one to put it up most to the selection.

ALPINISTA – (3:35 York, Darley Yorkshire Oaks) 2/1

This doesn’t look a particularly strong year for 3yo middle-distance fillies, with the Oaks 1-2 Tuesday and Emily Upjohn both blotting their copybooks next time out. The former might bounce back now taking on her own sex, and rates a better proposition than Magical Lagoon, who scrambled home in a weak Irish Oaks last time, but this really should be going to one of the older horses and it is the Arc hopeful ALPINISTA who rates the one to beat.

Sir Mark Prescott’s mare chased home Love in this race as a 3yo but has really turned a corner as a 4yo and 5yo, bringing her winning sequence to six (last four wins at Group 1 level) when landing the Prix de Saint-Cloud on seasonal reappearance.

Connections felt prior that she’d come on for that showing, which is quite a frightening prospect, and it’s worth remembering that Alpinista had the Arc winner Torquator Tasso behind when scoring at Hoppegarten last season.

Paddy Twomey is proving himself to be an excellent trainer and his upwardly-mobile La Petite Coco warrants respect, for all that her best form has come on a softer surface than the one she is expected to face here.

GOLDEN LYRA – (4:10 York, British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes) 11/4

William Haggas and Sunderland Holdings teamed up with the ill-fated Sea Of Class in the Yorkshire Oaks on this card in 2018, and four years later, GOLDEN LYRA can provide the partnership with another Knavesmire winner.

This filly is certainly bred in the purple being out of an unraced half-sister to the exceptional German Derby winner Sea The Moon.

Golden Lyra has made the track just three times so far, impressively winning novices at Newmarket and Kempton either side of a Newbury Listed second.

She shapes like a horse with plenty more still to offer, particularly over this 1m4f trip, and an entry in the Group 1 Fillies & Mares on Champions Day suggests that connections feel she is capable of being better than a Listed performer in time.

MANIFESTED – (4:45 York, Or8Wellness EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap) 10/1

Richard Hannon had a couple of interesting runners entered in this race at the seven-day stage, and it therefore may be notable that MANIFESTED has been entered seemingly with the tag of being the stable first string.

This colt caught the eye when seventh in a typically competitive Newmarket novice on debut last month, and although he wasn’t at that level when beaten 7l into fourth at Sandown next time, history may show that to be a strong race with the winner currently trading at 16/1 for the Dewhurst.

Manifested put up a career-best RPR when third at Ffos Las last time out, flying home to only just miss out for second. He looks a likely improver now tackling nurseries off what looks a workable opening mark, so gets the nod to land this assignment.

Bangor-on-Dee

Hurdle Turf

6 races

Newcastle

Hurdle Turf

7 races

Limerick

Hurdle Turf

7 races

Wolverhampton (AW)

Flat AW

7 races

QUEEN AMINATU – (5:20 York, British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap) 2/1

Edward Bethell’s Eidikos is generally seen competing at a better level than this and should be respected with William Buick booked to ride, but she may have to settle for place money behind QUEEN AMINATU.

This filly is well-bred being from the family of 2000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand and she has looked desperately unlucky not to land a pair of Haydock handicaps this season, particularly 11 days ago where she was consistently denied a run before flying home once in the clear.

Queen Aminatu gets in here off the same mark of 82, which is 6lb below her revised rating, and therefore it’s no real shock that connections have been keen to get her out again quickly.

Whilst her 82 rating is clearly well in on that future rating, it’s also to be noted that Queen Aminatu got to within a shorthead of Al Qareem at Newcastle on debut, a horse now officially rated 107. On that form, she’s surely well in here.