It’s the final day of York’s Ebor Festival on Saturday 23rd August and there’s another stunning £100,000 jackpot up for grabs in the ITV7. With the City Of York Stakes and Ebor Handicap lighting up the weekend horse racing then it’s set to be a tough ITV7 to win. Our in-house tipster Steve Chambers previews all the ITV7 races and picks out his selection in each contest.
Race 1 – 1.50pm York – Sky Bet Strensall Stakes
King’s Gambit has been an expensive performer to follow this season, so he is worth taking on at pretty short odds in the Group 3 Strensall Stakes at York at 1.50pm. On the contrary, Andrew Balding’s GLADIUS has won three of his four career starts and looks every bit a potential Group winner in the making. Handicap wins at Sandown and at Goodwood have seen him rocket up the ratings and he’s now taking on Pattern company for the first time. The Night Of Thunder three-year-old colt will be taking on older, more experienced rivals here, but he will be in receipt of weight from those older horses and that can make all the difference here.
Race 2 – 2.05pm Goodwood – Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Handicap
Eve Johnson Houghton’s GREAT ACCLAIM has been in sensational form of late racking up a win at Goodwood and then in the Racing League at Chepstow. Looking to continue his fine recent form he returns to Goodwood on Saturday for the 2.05pm contest and looks the one to back. He’s only been given a 2lbs rise by the handicapper for that success at Chepstow, so he won’t need to improve much to land this prize and looks a solid option.
Race 3 – 2.25pm York – Sky Bet Melrose Handicap
A plethora of exciting three-year-old stayers will contest the Melrose Handicap at 2.25pm, but the one that looks to have the potential to be the best of these is Andrew Balding’s TARRIANCE, who is rightly sitting at the head of the betting, at the time of writing. He relished the step up to 1m 6f last time out at Sandown when beating Pendragon by half-a-length and having only been given a 4lbs rise by the handicapper for that taking success he can duly do the business again off a mark of 93.
Race 4 – 2.40pm Goodwood – LiveScoreBet Total Betting Experience Handicap
Third in a competitive race at the Shergar Cup at Ascot, PRINCE OF THE SEAS was only beaten by two necks that day, so he brings some solid form into the race at Goodwood at 2.40pm. The three-year-old has been given a slight 1lb rise for that decent run, but still looks to have the potential to improve on that effort and can land his second career win for Ralph Becket on the south coast.
Race 5 – 3.00pm York – Sky Bet City Of York Stakes
Dual Group 1 winner Rosallion drops back to seven furlongs in the Group 1 City Of York Stakes at 3.00pm, but that shorter trip could be Richard Hannon’s star miler’s downfall and he’s worth taking on. A former winner of the Gimcrack Stakes at York as a juvenile, LAKE FOREST has failed in recent times to get his head in front, but he ran brilliantly at Goodwood when second in the Lennox Stakes and a repeat of that should see him go close here. He was doing all his best work late on in the Lennox, so providing he doesn’t get too far back then he could well storm in the hands of Tom Marquand and land this prize with aplomb.
Race 6 – 3.35pm York – Sky Bet Ebor Handicap
Both Hipop De Loire and Ethical Diamond have to be respected from the yard of Willie Mullins in the Ebor Handicap at 3.35pm, but there could be one at the bottom of the weights that springs an almighty surprise. James Tate’s MAJESTIC WARRIOR made a winning return after a near two-year absence off the track when winning at Thirsk, and if the five-year-old can kick on from that effort then looks capable of landing this prize. With three wins from four starts, he’s shown a real model of consistency and he was bounding through the line at Thirsk over 1m 4f last time out, so a step up to 1m 6f here should be ideal. He is significantly higher in the weights now and faces tougher opposition, but he is a classy performer and could be one that goes under the radar.
Race 7 – 4.10pm York – Sky Bet Constantine Handicap
Narrowly behind Elmonjed in a competitive York 6f handicap back in July, JUBILEE WALK will attempt to go one better on Saturday in the 4.10pm and James Ferguson’s charge looks capable of getting his head in front. He’s only been given a 1lb rise by the handicapper for that recent defeat at the track, so a mark of 93 looks more than attractive. He does have a course win to his name and while there will be plenty in with a chance in the final race of the ITV7 it’s the William Buick-ridden Jubilee Walk that can claim the win.
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