It’s the fourth and final day of the Ebor Festival at York on Saturday 22nd August, with some hugely competitive racing taking place on the Knavesmire.
Steve Chambers previews the action and picks out his best York Ebor Festival Day 4 Tips here.
York Racing Tips (Thursday 20 August)
Seven races get under way at 1.50pm, with the feature race the Ebor Handicap off at 3.35pm. Here’s the best bets for Saturday’s racing.
2.25 York – Infraad (1pt win – 3/1)
A narrow winner of the very smart Hatteen at Glorious Goodwood last month, Infraad is aiming to build on that success and claim victory in the Melrose Handicap at 2.25pm. The pair had pulled over four lengths clear of the rest of the field that day, so they could both possibly better than their current marks. Given a notable 7lbs rise by the handicapper for that win, the William Haggas-trained raider will need to improve, but he can duly continue his progression and land this prize. He will step up in trip for this event, but he was doing all his best work in the closing stages of that Goodwood event, so he should be able to deal with the 1m 5f 188y trip here and dominate the finish.
3.00 York – Zavateri (1pt win – 6/1)
Notable Speech is a real classy miler, but has lacked consistency in recent times, so could be worth taking on in the Group 1 City Of York Stakes at 3.00pm. The one to take the Godolphin raider on with is Zavateri for Eve Johnson Houghton. A Group 1 winner over seven furlongs in the National Stakes at the Curragh, he was last seen putting up a bold effort in defeat in the Sussex Stakes over a mile. Fifth that day behind the imperious Bow Echo, he found himself getting a little bumped about that day, but he still stayed on well. A former Vintage Stakes winner, he’s one that excels over seven furlongs, and if he can find a prominent position off the pace here then he can unleash his customary turn of foot to land this event.
3.35 York – Hopewell Rock (1pt win – 11/1)
George Boughey’s Hopewell Rock got the better of Small Fry when the pair met at Glorious Goodwood. That Joseph O’Brien-trained raider has since come out and stormed to victory at York this week to give the form a real boost. Boughey’s charge does have to carry a 4lbs penalty for that success, but he comes into the Ebor Handicap in red-hot form and at double-figured odds can sparkle once again on the big stage. Sixth in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot, he seemed to enjoy the step up in trip at Goodwood, and lining up over the same 1m 6f trip on Saturday, he’s certainly the one to beat.
