Ben Linfoot and Matt Brocklebank pick out five horses on the radar for next week's glittering Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival at York.
SKY BET ODDS: 10/1 for the Great Voltigeur
SKY BET ODDS: 14/1 for the St Leger
Roger Varian’s Defoe has scored a hat-trick from three runs this season and his form continues to work out really well. He could be the real deal and there’s plenty to like about his 10/1 quotes for the Great Voltigeur.
Firstly, his form. His first win of the season came at Newbury and the third, Time To Study, the fourth, Century Dream, the fifth Duke Of Bronte, the eighth Bush House and the 11th I’vegotthepower, have all won since.
His win at York on July 1 was franked by the sixth home, Appointed, who won at the same track later that month and then his latest victory in the Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton has been boosted by recent winners Euro Nightmare and Frankuus.
The further he goes, the better he looks and, while he’s certainly on the radar for the St Leger at 14/1 as well, this rapid improver looks a likely type for the Voltigeur.
If Cracksman turns up he’s the one to beat, but he does look very short at 7/4 considering he’s a horse that takes a while to get going. On a flat track like York he could easily be caught out and Defoe could be the one to take advantage*.
*If, of course, he turns up. We have just got this story saying he could run in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury on Saturday. (Ben Linfoot)
WATCH: Free video replay of Defoe winning at Newbury
WATCH: Free video replay of Defoe winning at York
WATCH: Free video replay of Defoe winning at Hamilton
SKY BET ODDS: 8/1 for the Nunthorpe
So often in the past when top-class races have effectively been billed as a match, this wonderful sport has a rich history of throwing up a surprise and it’s unfair on some of the Nunthorpe contenders to have been dismissed as extras behind superstars Lady Aurelia and Battaash, and Marsha looks very capable of playing a significant role.
With Lady Aurelia having to travel over from the States for a second time this year and Charles Hills' youngster having his first attempt in a Group One, there are reasons to look elsewhere and Marsha fits the bill having looked like taking the sprinting world by storm when winning the Palace House under a penalty back in May (form that was boosted by Washington DC on Sunday).
She’s been very consistent in defeat since, including when favourite to beat Lady Aurelia in the King’s Stand, and she’ll be 1lb better off with Battaash at York following her fast-finishing third to him at Goodwood.
She’d have probably been second with a clear run there and her sole career appearance at York so far yielded a Listed win last summer.
So we know she likes the track and we know she comes good towards the second half of the season, having landed the Abbaye at Chantilly in October. There’s so much to like about her credentials and the ‘big two’ in opposition mean Sir Mark Prescott’s flying filly is on offer at very reasonable each-way prices. (Matt Brocklebank)
SKY BET ODDS: 25/1 for the Ebor
Apprentice riders have a tremendous record in the Ebor in recent seasons, including a one-two-three for those claiming extra weight last year, and George Wood has every reason to be getting excited about the chances of Star Storm, who he rode to finish third at Royal Ascot and would appear the likely candidate for James Fanshawe’s runner at York.
That staying-on third to Rare Rhythm came on the back of a fine second to subsequent Coral-Eclipse third Desert Encounter so it’s fair to suggest Star Storm is now getting right back to his best after lingering in the wilderness between top-end handicapper and proper Group horse throughout 2016.
He didn’t quite get the extended two miles when tried over that trip at Newcastle earlier this year but still travelled ominously well and ran with credit in fourth. Most of his form is at a mile and a half though the Ebor trip looks tailor-made for this classy individual who is certain to make the cut and can be backed at big prices (25/1 with Sky Bet). (Matt Brocklebank)
Watch the closing stages of Star Storm's Royal Ascot run on YouTube...
Until Richard Hannon came along with Stormy Clouds last season William Haggas and Kevin Ryan had farmed the Goffs Premier Yearling Conditions Stakes the previous five years.
Both look set to be well represented in the race again and Haggas has a couple of interesting ones; the unbeaten Special Purpose and Saturday’s Sweet Solera fourth Ertiyad. The latter would be particularly interesting if Haggas did his canny York trick of putting first time headgear on a horse dropping back to six from seven.
However, Kevin Ryan could hold the key this year as his Hey Jonesy made a big impression when winning the Get The Sky Bet Advantage Novice Median Auction Stakes on the Knavesmire at the end of last month.
The son of Excelebration showed plenty of speed that day and pulled almost three lengths clear of Tim Easterby’s talented Staxton. While Staxton couldn’t give 6lb and a beating to Hey Jonesy, he did manage to defy the same-size penalty at Haydock last Thursday.
Versatile when it comes to ground conditions and with this sales race nominated as his target in the immediate aftermath of his York victory, Hey Jonesy looks a likely type for a yard that traditionally make hay when the York Ebor Festival comes around. (Ben Linfoot)
When I asked David Menuisier if he was looking forward to running anything at York, he said this:
“We could have a few actually. Maybe Vintager in the Acomb, Contrapposto, Corpus Chorister in the two-mile handicap and I think I’ve got one for the Convivial.”
Obviously, I asked for the name of the Convivial horse.
“That I can’t tell you,” he laughed. “You’ll have to wait for the entries.”
My interest piqued, I now have David Menuisier’s selected as a very much under the radar horse for an on the radar feature.
Now, I realise that every trainer in the north and Luca Cumani will have one lined up for this, but Menuisier did saddle the aforementioned Contrapposto to be a 50/1 second in last year’s renewal.
With that in mind, maybe, I hope, sticking his ‘selected’ runner in as one to watch isn’t as daft as it may seem. (Ben Linfoot)
WATCH: Free video replay of last year's Convivial Maiden Stakes