Ebor Festival 2020 Tips - Day One
- Matchday FM
- Aug 18, 2020
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 19, 2020
Get ready for four days of exhilerating action on the Knavesmire, as York prepares to host its flagship meeting of the flat racing calendar - the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival.
Among the highlights are three Group 1 contests, in addition to a host of other pattern races, culminating in the Skybet Ebor handicap on Saturday, which is usually worth £1m to the winner.
The hotly debated prize money issues mean this year it is just a quarter of that, but as always the superstar horses on track will take centre stage.
On the opening day of the meeting, the Group 1 Juddmonte International over 10 furlongs is the feature race, with Ghaiyyath looking to land a third success at the top level this season.
His rivals include star mare Magical, 2000 Guineas winner Kameko and Lord North, who won the Prince of Wales' Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Can anyone stop Ghaiyyath, the relentless front-running machine? Our Matchday FM horse racing regulars Harry Reynolds, Ben Wignall and Joseph Richardson give their selections for a stellar card.
13.45 - Sky Bet And Symphony Group Handicap
Harry Reynolds – The most likely winner in this is Jawwaal, boasting two wins from two starts this season. The price on him has gone however, but the rest of the field are wildly inconsistent. MAGIC J was too keen at Ascot last time, but had previously beaten Koncheck at Sandown which is pretty solid form, so I’ll take him to bounce back under champion jockey Oisin Murphy.
Ben Wignall – A typically tough-looking sprint handicap to kick off the Ebor festival, and I fancy LAHORE to repeat his success on the Knavesmire last month. He’s gone up a few pounds in the handicap since but he’s very speedy and is always competitive in these races.
Joseph Richardson - A devilishly difficult opener to decipher with plenty of live chances. I am plumping for ARECIBO here to have his day in the sun. The five-year-old is no stranger to big field handicaps and stayed on the best over course and distance in July, just under two lengths off the winner Lahore who also runs here.
14.15 - Tattersalls Acomb Stakes (Group 3)
HR – The form of ROYAL SCIMITAR’s debut victory reads particularly well, with the second, fourth and fifth that day subsequently winning. Cloudbridge could well be very good but is pretty underpriced, so with that in mind and given the form of Clive Cox’s two-year-olds this year, I’ll back him to land another Group success in the Golden Horde colours.
BW – There’s two horses I like in this. Clive Cox has some nice juveniles this year and Royal Scimitar could be anything but CLOUDBRIDGE was very impressive at Leicester on debut. The third in that race has since come out and won so he looks to be a solid favourite.
JR - Not much to go off with these two-year-olds but another potentially likeable Clive Cox juvenile is ROYAL SCIMITAR. He got up to win well on debut at Newbury and on that day chinned Line of Departure, who has subsequently won on his last two starts.
14.45 - Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2)
HR – Mogul rewarded me for my loyalty in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, and he is definitely the class act in here. However, Aidan O’Brien has only won this once since 2003, and DARAIN looks a potential superstar. A full brother to Too Darn Hot, Lah Ti Dar and So Mi Dar out of Group 1-winning mare Dar Re Mi, he cost a record $3,500,000 at the sales and is unbeaten in two starts. The step up in trip should bring about more improvement, and trainer John Gosden won this with Logician last year, and he had a similar profile.
BW – Whilst he’s officially the lowest rated horse in the field, DARAIN holds the most scope for improvement and a lot is expected of him as he steps up into group company. His path to this race has been very similar to that of Logician last year - and we know what he went on to do in the St Leger.
JR - This race has historically been a good St Leger trial and it is crying out for a lurking improver to hack up - that could well be the impeccably bred DARAIN, as it was impossible not to be taken by this horse on his novice victory at Newbury. I am looking for him to take a step forward and beat an underwhelming crop of three-year-olds.
15.15 - Juddmonte International Stakes (Group 1)
HR – The lack of a Ballydoyle pacemaker in this is hugely surprising, with six-time Group 1 winner Magical their only entry. In a small field and a tactical race, GHAIYYATH should get another uncontested lead, and I can’t see anything being able to keep up with him. Charlie Appleby’s horse has really come of age this year and has already landed the Coronation Cup and the Eclipse, and he should gallop them into the ground from the front.
BW – I am hoping that Rose Of Kildare goes off at the front with Ghaiyyath, because I do not want to see him get an easy lead again. If the field can stay with the Godolphin runner, I fancy MAGICAL to add another Group 1 success by claiming the race late up the home straight. She’s got so much class, but she and her rivals need to make sure Ghaiyyath doesn’t get away from them early.
JR - Without a proper pacemaker in here, I don’t think any of these can stop GHAIYYATH registering a hat-trick of Group 1 victories this season. Going into the Eclipse, there was some scepticism over the form of the Coronation Cup where the tailwind at Newmarket significantly favoured front runners. But I was so taken by his performance at Sandown into a head wind, and beating Enable in any condition by 2.25 lengths is exceptional.
15.45 - Sky Bet Handicap
HR – Paul Mulrennan was on board for SOLO SAXOPHONE’s hat-trick of wins this season, and the pair are reunited in this. His winning streak came to an end at Ascot but he was given an awful lot to do that day, and the stiff finish may not have suited him. He’s now a huge price to get back to winning ways at a course he has proven he enjoys.
BW – A handicap for the stayers here and despite coming a bit unstuck at Ascot last time out, SOLO SAXOPHONE had won three in a row prior, including at York. More progression is needed here off a mark of 94 but the Frankel gelding is perfectly capable of showing more.
JR - JUST IN TIME ran well off an almost two-year long lay-off last time out in the Marsh Cup at Newbury. The jockey-trainer combination of Hollie Doyle and Alan King teamed up to win with Scarlet Dragon at Royal Ascot, and Doyle certainly enhances the chance of any horse she rides.
16.20 - Sky Bet Fillies' Sprint Handicap
HR – DANCIN INTHESTREET was ahead of Keep Busy at York on his last start, albeit over an extra furlong in a Group 3, but crucially off level weights. The pair previously met at Royal Ascot where Keep Busy gave his rival 13 pounds and a neck beating, but probably ran on the more favourable side of the track that day. Dancin Inthestreet gets a stone off the second favourite in this, and with Tom Marquand and William Haggas both in brilliant form it’s hard to see placings reversed from that last effort.
BW – I’ve tipped DANCIN INTHESTREET the last few times she’s ran, so I’ll give her one more chance here. Hopefully Tom Marquand doesn’t hold her up at the back of the field and races her a bit closer to the pace, as we saw at Royal Ascot that despite not winning, she has an electric turn of foot.
JR - It looks a two-horse race between the current top two in the market. Dancin Inthestreet boasts the combination of Tom Marquand and William Haggas in addition to a nice weight, but the form of KEEP BUSY is hard to overlook. He beat his stablemate El Astronaute last time out, and looked the best of the rest behind Art Power at Royal Ascot. Danny Redmond takes a valuable five pounds off.
16.50 - Sky Bet Nursery Handicap
HR – I’ll stick with the Royal Scimitar form line and back LINE OF DEPARTURE to land the hat-trick in this. He’s very experienced now with five starts, the most of any horse in the field, and was very impressive during his last victory at Ascot. A mark of 84 vastly underrates him.
BW – A Royal Scimitar win in the Acomb would do wonders for the form line of Line Of Departure, who was behind him at Newbury a few starts ago, but I’m going with CAIRN ISLAND here for Yorkshire trainer Kevin Ryan. Owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, this horse got off the mark stylishly at the third time of asking recently at Ayr, and he can take another step forward here.
JR - MUTAZAWWED needs to win if connections have grand plans to progress with him, and will look to go one better than when losing by a head last time out in a nursery at Hamilton. Jim Crowley has been in fine form this season as the retained rider to Hamdan Al Maktoum.
Selections
Harry Reynolds
13.45 Magic J 8/1
14.15 Royal Scimitar 5/1
14.45 Darain 10/3
15.15 Ghaiyyath 6/5
15.45 Solo Saxophone 10/1
16.20 Dancin Inthestreet 9/4
16.50 Line Of Departure 11/2
Ben Wignall
13.45 Lahore 14/1
14.15 Cloudbridge 15/8
14.45 Darain 10/3
15.15 Magical 7/2
15.45 Solo Saxophone 10/1
16.20 Dancin Inthestreet 9/4
16.50 Cairn Island 11/2
Joseph Richardson
13.45 Arecibo 7/1
14.15 Royal Scimitar 15/8
14.45 Darain 10/3
15.15 Ghaiyyath 6/5
15.45 Just In Time 12/1
16.20 Keep Busy 3/1
16.50 Mutazawwed 13/2
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