Top tipster Andrew Mount gives five tips for the opening day of the Dante Festival at York, including a strong 2pt tip for the final race on the card.
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Posted: 4.20pm May 16th (Odds correct at time of writing)
Updated: 4.54pm May 16th (Prices updated on 5.15 selections)
1.50 York – WHITE WOLF (1pt E/W – 17/2 generally) + THUNDERING (0.5pt E/W – 12/1 generally)
Saeed Bin Suroor has a good recent record when using first-time cheekpieces, scoring with nine of his 40 such runners since the beginning of 2021 for a profit of £10.50 to a £1 level stake at SP. However, the application of first-time headgear is not the main reason for siding with WHITE WOLF. The four-year-old is returning from a 74-day break and his three previous runs when fresh (racecourse debut or when rested for at least six weeks) have produced form figures of 1st, 1st and 2nd by a short head. Oisin Murphy is a good booking and he fits the profile of previous Jorvik Handicap winners.
THUNDERING’s sole previous York run saw him finish a close-up second of 16 in a 1m4f Heritage Handicap the Ebor meeting and he runs off the same mark today. He was ridden patiently that day but is tactically versatile and I’m hoping that Tom Eaves has him handy in a race lacking obvious pacesetters. He finished well held at Rion on his comeback but the very soft ground was probably not ideal and he raced wider than ideal.
2.25 York – SILVER SAMURAI (1pt E/W – 16/1 Bet365 + 888Sport, 14/1 generally)
SILVER SAMURAI finished a creditable 22-1 ninth of 21 in the 6f Howden Handicap at Newmarket earlier this month and will appreciate the return to a flat track. He improved for the cut back to 6f last year, scoring at Newbury and Haydock and running well at York on two occasions. His combined record at Ascot, Newmarket and Newcastle, tracks with stiff uphill finishes, now reads 46733069 (0-8) and it’s good to see William Buick back on board for the first time since that Newbury success in the corresponding week last year. Low draws were favoured in York sprints on good/faster going last term and the drying conditions should mean that his stall 5 of 22 position is no problem.
New & Exclusive: Matthew Sutcliffe’s York Pointers and Punts – Wednesday 17th May
Matthew Sutcliffe is the newest recruit to the GG team and he will be looking back on the previous weekend for smart performances, as well as picking the best value plays ahead of Saturday’s action. Published: 12 pm May 16 (Odds correct at time of publication) 1:50 Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Handicap (Class…
Tue 16 May 20235.15 York – VALLAMOREY (2pt win – 12/1 William Hill, 9/1 generally) + SHAKE A LEG (0.5pt E/W – 33/1 William Hill, 22/1 generally)
VALLAMOREY did this column a 22-1 good turn when making a successful handicap debut at Doncaster on April 28th, confirming the promise she’d shown in novice and maiden company last autumn, notably when a 22-1 third at Newcastle in October where she committed pace suicide by pressing the early gallop. She’s gone up 8lb in the handicap for that near-five-length handicap debut win and that looks very lenient. York should suit her running style and she’d be a lot shorter in the betting were she trained by a bigger name.
Progeny of the sire Excelebration have a modest 6.6% strike-rate on all-weather tracks in Britain and Ireland but that improves to 11.1% on turf (Flat only). Julie Camacho’s SHAKE A LEG trailed home 20 lengths behind the winner when last of six in a 1m4f handicap on Newcastle’s Tapeta surface last time, taking his all-weather score to 0-12, and is best judged on his turf record in 1m4f handicaps of 147113 (3-6), with the fourth place coming in a 17-runner contest. He could get loose on the lead here, despite the big field, and is worth a saver at a big price.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
1.50 York – WHITE WOLF (1pt E/W – 17/2 generally) + THUNDERING (0.5pt E/W – 12/1 generally)
2.25 York – SILVER SAMURAI (1pt E/W – 16/1 Bet365 + 888Sport, 14/1 generally)
5.15 York – VALLAMOREY (2pt win – 12/1 William Hill, 9/1 generally) + SHAKE A LEG (0.5pt E/W – 33/1 William Hill, 22/1 generally)
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