Our racing expert Ben Linfoot has three Value Bet selections for day two of the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival at York.
Recommended Bets: Ebor Festival, Day Two
1pt win St Ives in 2.25 York at 20/1
1pt win Bless Him in 3.00 York at 14/1
1pt win Wafy in 3.00 York at 20/1
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
*Bless Him is a NR in 3.00 York (Going)
William Haggas drew a blank from a couple of runners on the opening day of the Ebor Festival but he could well come to the party at his favourite track on Thursday as he has a handful of good chances.
He’s got a couple of likely types in the handicaps, Frankellina in the Galtres Stakes and Wejdan in the Sky Bet Lowther, but the one I want to be with the most is ST IVES in the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Stakes at 20/1 (General).
Haggas has a great record in this race and won it three times in succession from 2013, but his sole contender this year, St Ives, looks to have been underestimated in the market.
Perhaps it’s because he has plenty to find on the figures, but that’s rarely a concern in a race of this nature and he looks well capable of posting an effort better than he’s been able to show thus far.
Third in the Magical Max maiden here at York on his second start back in June, that track experience can hold him in good stead and he got off the mark at Doncaster after that when he seemed to be suited by a big field.
Against 14 rivals on Town Moor he travelled really well and fought to get is head in front in a tight finish, while he was undone by a small field of just three last time out at Newcastle.
That was over seven furlongs and he was sent off at 4/11, odds that looked spot on as he travelled smoothly up to the lead with a furlong to go.
However, the seventh furlong proved his undoing and he lost out on the nod to Richard Fahey’s Bravo Faisal right on the line, meaning he comes into York on a bit of a retrieval mission.
However, the nature of this race looks sure to bring out the best in him and he’s drawn on the far side as well, which looked the place to be in the opening sprint on Wednesday while there’s plenty of pace among the low numbers, too.
Enable is the star attraction on Thursday and she should get the job done as she prepares for a third Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks, but the best betting race on the card is the Clipper Logistics Handicap over a mile at 3.00.
This looks set to be run at a real clip with loads of pace in there; Vale Of Kent, Waarif, Club Wexford, Arbalet and Via Serendipity could all contest the lead and I don’t think they’ll be hanging around here.
That scenario could really suit BLESS HIM who is worth backing for the in-form David Simcock team at 14/1 (General).
A winner of the Britannia Handicap off a mark of 90 two years ago, he’s suffered from colic and almost died twice last year, but he’s been running with promise this year and looks dangerously well-handicapped now off 92.
He ran well off 95 at York on his seasonal reappearance in the Hambleton off a less-than-ideal preparation and he held his form well at Chelmsford and Windsor after that before he bombed out at Goodwood over 10 furlongs.
That effort is well worth forgiving on a number of counts. The trip wasn’t ideal for starters, but he didn’t get the ideal run through either and he’ll be much better suited by a strongly-run mile at York.
The good thing is he dropped another pound and with Jamie Spencer back on board to execute a cool, waiting, ride, he’s well set to put in a season’s best. It could be good enough.
🏇 David Simcock on Bless Him
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) April 21, 2019
"He's a talented horse. He nearly died twice last year... He looks big and well now and he'll probably go to Windsor in a couple of weeks' time." pic.twitter.com/Gdk1ATNqAj
However, I do want two strings to my bow in this race and the 20/1 (General) about WAFY looks on the big side.
This son of Dubawi stays further, so he would enjoy a fierce gallop, too, and he’s run the two best races of his career on his last two starts since being gelded.
Last time he was a bit unlucky to be beaten as convincingly as he was when second to Qaysar at Newbury, as he travelled well only for the winner to get first run on him.
A 10lb pull at the weights can help him overturn those four-and-a-half lengths and he looks a threat to all from towards the bottom of the weights with Andrea Atzeni taking over in the saddle, while going left-handed around a bend might help him, as well.
Posted at 1700 BST on 21/08/19.
Ben Linfoot's Value Bet aim: The Value Bet is designed to generate long-term profit by searching for overpriced horses in the feature weekend races and at the big Festivals in the UK and Ireland. Running total: +364.19pts to advised stakes/prices (from inception of Value Bet column in January 2010 to current).
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