Ebor Festival 2020 Tips - Day Two

After Ghaiyyath scorched the dampening Knavesmire turf on day one of the meeting, Love looks to follow suit in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks.

It was another astonishing performance from Charlie Appleby's horse, making all under another excellent William Buick ride.

Ghaiyyath has now won the Coronation Cup, the Eclipse and the Juddmonte International this season.

Love can emulate his achievement of three Group 1s this season too, and she is a very short-priced favourite for the contest over 12 furlongs, on the back of her victories in the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks.

Matchday FM pundits Harry Reynolds, Ben Wignall and Joseph Richardson all give their selections for the second day of the Ebor festival.

13.45 - Sky Bet Lowther Stakes (Group 2)

Harry Reynolds – She wouldn’t want too much rain to fall, but SACRED should be much the best of these. She’s not been seen since her second to Campanelle in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, so it’s safe to assume this has been a serious target. Her form is rock solid and finished ahead of a number of subsequent winners on both starts, and the step up in trip to six furlongs should suit.

Ben Wignall – This looks like a pretty competitive race for the juvenile fillies, with form from Ireland also coming in to play. The classiest horse in this race though looks to be SACRED. She won on debut at Newmarket, and down the field that day were the future Super Sprint Stakes and Empress Stakes winners in Happy Romance and Time Scale respectively. That form looks solid and her second in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot to Campanelle looks good too. She’s definitely the one to beat here.

Joseph Richardson - A very inviting start to day two for punters as SACRED is a solid thing in the opener. Second in the Queen Mary, she races over six furlongs for the first time and has been very well backed to land this.

14.15 - Goffs UK Premier Yearling Stakes

HR – DEVIOUS COMPANY should really be winning this quite comfortably. Second in two Group 2s, he is rated over a stone clear of the rest of the field, and runs with the majority off level weights. His current price is a gift, he has the best form in the book by a mile, and in spite of Tom Dascombe’s poor form this should be an easy victory.

BW – This is another very deep race, but on official ratings and form it is hard to see past DEVIOUS COMPANY taking this. His trainer Tom Dascombe is having a poor run at the moment but this horse came second in two Group 2s to promising colts Master Of The Seas and Battleground. Super Sprint winner Happy Romance is probably the main danger but Devious Company should have the class to be the victor.

Devious Company (left) has been second in two Group 2s this season.

JR - The form of DEVIOUS COMPANY is rock solid and 2/1 is a fair price for what he has achieved so far. The Superlative Stakes form was given a further boost with Saint Lawrence winning at Newbury last weekend, and a second behind Ballydoyle’s star juvenile Battleground is more than enough to side with him.

14.45 - Clipper Logistics Handicap

HR – I find it often pays to side with the unbeaten runner, so despite the excellent form of both Montatham and Prompting, James Tate’s TOP RANK looks pattern class, and better than a mark of 103. He is a four-year-old with only four career starts, and was very impressive on reappearance at Thirsk. This will be a lot tougher, but looks a Group horse in a handicap.

BW – The current favourite Top Rank is unbeaten in four spaced out starts and has taken a massive hike in the weights for his recent success at Thirsk. PROMPTING may not be done improving though after his impressive success in the Golden Mile at Glorious Goodwood. He’s gone up six pounds since then but the horse clearly has promise and he could take another step forward here.

JR - Plenty of familiar names in here. MONTATHAM has gone up four pounds for his victory over Dark Vision but that is not enough to put me off backing him to continue Hamdan Al Maktoum’s utter dominance of the handicaps this season.

15.15 - Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Group 1)

HR – I know she’s been impressive visually and on the clock, but Love still hasn’t beaten anything of note for me. The 1000 Guineas form is horrific, and her main rival in the Oaks never went a yard. Her price is pretty poor so with a flat track set to suit her better this time, I think FRANKLY DARLING could reverse the places from Epsom. She looked brilliant when winning the Ribblesdale, and could be a bit of a forgotten horse in here.

BW – Love is a short-priced favourite for this but even though her win in the Epsom Oaks was visually impressive, you can easily pick holes in the form. Therefore, I’ll take her on with ONE VOICE, who was finishing strongly in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, but couldn’t quite catch the double Group 1-winning Fancy Blue. Jessie Harrington’s filly should appreciate the step up in trip and the man of the moment Tom Marquand takes the ride once again.

JR - I am not at all surprised that Enable has swerved this race, so it looks like we will have to wait until the Arc to see her face off against LOVE. As for this race, Aidan O’Brien’s dual Classic winner should win this and win it well. There are some talented fillies in here, but her run in the Oaks was breathtakingly good and I hope she sparkles on the Knavesmire, albeit I certainly won’t be backing her at 4/9.

15.45 - British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes (Listed Race)

HR – Award Scheme was second in a Listed contest behind Alpinista who runs in the race before this, and that looks decent form. GOLD WAND who comes out best at the weights, given her three-year-old allowance. She was narrowly beaten on her last run by Franconia, who is fancied for the Yorkshire Oaks, and debuted in a hot maiden when second to Domino Darling last season. That race has produced a Group 3 victory among other winners, and Lady G was behind her that day. A repeat of her last performance should see her over the line first.

BW – The odds suggest that this is a very open race for the fillies, and SEA OF FAITH looks to be one with big potential for William Haggas. Carrying the famous colours that have seen Sea The Stars and Sea Of Class win over the Knavesmire in the past, the full sister to proven stayers Raheen House and Shraaoh was the victor in a premier handicap last time out, and it would be no surprise to anyone if she takes another step forward here.

JR - AWARD SCHEME is one of my strongest fancies of the week and at 7/1 is a very fair price each way. This horse positively bolted up by five lengths at the track in a fillies’ handicap over the extended mile and a quarter, albeit in a lower grade. She then backed that up when stepped up to Listed company last time out at Salisbury when she was second, finishing ahead of Queen Power. She should get the extra couple of furlongs and is a very interesting runner for The Queen and the William Haggas stable.

Award Scheme was second in Listed company just a week ago.

16.20 - Sky Bet EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap

HR – The form of MAYAAS’ last start could look incredible come Friday. He finished third that day, and the first (Mohawk King) and fourth (Minzaal) from that race both contest the Group 2 Gimcrack on the Knavesmire. Jim Crowley’s mount should prove considerably better than a mark of 83, given that Minzaal is now rated 92.

BW – You could give a reason for any of these horses to win, but I’ll pick RHOSCOLYN for Charlie Hills and Ryan Moore. He beat some smart-looking horses at Haydock last time out from the front but will find it a lot tougher here – as will many of these.

JR - MAYAAS beat Minzaal - a well-fancied horse for the Gimcrack - and that’s good enough to win this nursery and break his duck.

16.50 - British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Handicap

HR – I tried to find an angle against LAWAHED, but it looks a pretty weak race. Trainer William Haggas is still firing winners in left, right and centre, and this horse carries just 8st in this contest. She’s raced against rivals rated better than her mark of 85, and given that she’s not been out of the frame in three starts, she should have too much for these.

BW – Anna Nerium steps into handicap company for the first time in her career, having competed in pattern class races ever since her fourth start. She has to carry a big weight though and a horse like DANCING VEGA could take advantage of that. She’s back with Ralph Beckett after a short stint with Chad Brown in the States last year, and she was just shouldered off by experienced handicapper Firmament on her return over this course and distance last month. She’s up four pounds for that result but she looks like one of the most likely winners of this contest.

JR - ODYSSEY GIRL is a consistent performer racing off just 8st for John Egan and Richard Spencer and beat a smart filly of John Gosden’s called Indie Angel last time out.

Selections

Harry Reynolds

13.45 Sacred 15/8

14.15 Devious Company 7/4

14.45 Top Rank 7/2

15.15 Frankly Darling 8/1

15.45 Gold Wand 9/2

16.20 Mayaas 7/2

16.50 Lawahed 15/8

Ben Wignall

13.45 Sacred 15/8

14.15 Devious Company 7/4

14.45 Prompting 7/1

15.15 One Voice 8/1

15.45 Sea Of Faith 9/2

16.20 Rhoscolyn 8/1

16.50 Dancing Vega 4/1

Joseph Richardson

13.45 Sacred 15/8

14.15 Devious Company 7/4

14.45 Montatham 6/1

15.15 Love 4/9

15.45 Award Scheme 6/1

16.20 Mayaas 7/2

16.50 Odyssey Girl 10/1