Top commentator Simon Holt has two selections for day two of the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival including one trained by Sir Michael Stoute.
Recommended Bets: August 20
2pts win Walhaan in 2.45 York at 18/1
2pts win Vivionn in 3.45 York at 7/1
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THE dual Classic winner Love is fully expected to conquer all in Thursday's Darley Yorkshire Oaks but Aidan O'Brien's smooth-galloping filly will start at prohibitive odds and better value may be available with VIVIONN in the British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes.
Sir Michael Stoute's filly performed a career-best when chasing home Search For A Song in this race last year and the subsequent exploits of the winner (who beat Kew Gardens in the Irish St Leger next time) and third-placed Spirit Of Appin (a Group Three winner at Newmarket) suggests a repeat of that form will make her hard to beat.
One suspects that this will have been Vivionn's target for some time, though she has raced only once in the last 12 months finishing third behind Manuela De Vega and Fanny Logan in the Pinnacle Stakes at Haydock in June.
While the two in front of her have done well since, the selection was probably a bit ring-rusty and the winner benefitted from an excellent front-running ride. Ryan Moore's mount should be much sharper for this.
Earlier, WALHAAN looks an intriguing contender in the Clipper Logistics Handicap.
This ex-French-trained gelding (formerly with Jean-Claude Rouget) showed little in his first two starts for Ian Williams (in the Hunt Cup and then over a too-short six furlongs at Pontefract) but improved dramatically at Ascot last month when, despite going off at 100-1, he stayed on into second behind River Nymph over the stiff seven furlongs.
Walhaan's effort was the subject of a stewards inquiry in which jockey Martin Harley explained how he failed to get a clear run over a furlong out, and the form looks solid with River Nymph winning again since (and likely to be rated about a stone higher now) while third-placed Tiger Crusade had previously beaten Society Lion (winner next time) at Doncaster.
Up just 2lb for that eye-catching effort (but still 5lb lower than his original British rating), the four-year-old can run a big race at decent odds with an extra furlong and any cut in the ground unlikely to be a problem.
Posted at 1732 BST on 19/08/20
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