Expert tipster Andrew Mount gives four selections for Thursday’s racing, including two running at the Ebor Festival.
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Posted: 5.54pm August 23rd (Odds correct at time of writing)
2.25 York – PERSICA (1pt win – 6/1 generally)
PERSICA attracted some market interest ahead of his debut at Leicester, going off as the 11-2 second favourite in a 7f novice contest. Poorly drawn in stall 8 of 8, he blew the start, ran green and beat only one home. He looked a different horse at Salisbury just three days later, bolting up under prominent ride when 10-1 for a 6f novice. He was still green that day and looks very interesting in the Premier Yearling Stakes. Since 2016, the Hannon yard has saddled 12 runners in this valuable contest who finished in the top three last time out and five of them won for a profit of £17.00 to a £1 level stake at SP.
5.20 York – BACK SEE DAA (1pt E/W – 14/1 generally)
BACK SEE DAA fared best of those to chase the very strong early pace when sixth of 18 in the 1m fillies’ handicap at Goodwood, with the five who beat her described by the Racing Post as ‘midfield’, ‘in rear’, ‘towards rear’, ‘towards rear’ and ‘dwelt start, midfield’. The faster ground will suit, as will the cut back in trip and this sometimes-keen sort will appreciate the likely strong gallop.
Yorkshire Oaks Preview : Key Runners Guide + Big-Race Verdict
The Yorkshire Oaks is the feature race on day two of York’s Ebor Meeting, and has an illustrious list of winners, including the superstar Enable who won it 2017 and 2019, becoming only the third horse to win twice. This year’s line up see’s Savethelastdance bid to follow up her Irish Oaks victory and give…
Tue 22 Aug 20237.55 Leopardstown – HELPMEOUT (1pt win – 9/1 Bet365, 8/1 generally)
HELPMEOUT fared second best of the closers when a solid 16-1 fourth in a 1m fillies/mares handicap at the Curragh last time, making ground on the slowest part of the track. Her best efforts have come on left-handed tracks (Leopardstown, Naas and Navan) and it might be a blessing in disguise that last Friday’s Cork meeting was abandoned when I tipped her for a handicap over the straight 7f.
8.35 Chelmsford – STARJIK (1pt E/W – 33/1 generally)
I wrote the following about STARJIK in my Racing & Football Outlook column after his third place at Chelmsford in March of this year…
‘They went hard up front in the 6f chelmsfordcityracecourse.com handicap and the race was teed up perfectly for the closers, with Derek Shaw’s JUMIRA BRIDGE (‘slowly into stride, held up in rear’) getting the better of REAL ESTATE (‘held up in rear’). The fourth, fifth and sixth also came from midfield or further back and the ‘outlier’ was 14-1 third STARJIK, who was always prominent from stall 1. Stella Barclay’s six-year-old remains winless for his current yard but scored twice in Polytrack for John Butler last year and can be supported next time.’
…he finished unplaced on Tapeta the next twice before joining the Ewan Whillans yard, running a fine 33-1 third from a poor draw in a 6f Wolverhampton handicap on his stable debut in June. He bombed out over 7f at Newcastle later the same month but failed to settle and reportedly bled from the nose. He’s been freshened up since that run and returns to Polytrack for the first time since that eyecatching course and distance effort in March. He travels a long way from his base in the Scottish Borders – this is his trainer’s first Chelmsford runner – and the hint should be taken.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
2.25 York – PERSICA (1pt win – 6/1 generally)
5.20 York – BACK SEE DAA (1pt E/W – 14/1 generally)
7.55 Leopardstown – HELPMEOUT (1pt win – 9/1 Bet365, 8/1 generally)
8.35 Chelmsford – STARJIK (1pt E/W – 33/1 generally)
Andrew Mount’s tips for Thursday 24th August 2023.
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