Dave Nevison's tips: a 33-1 Ebor fancy and other best bets
Our betting expert likes a filly trading at chunky odds in Saturday's big race at York.
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3.10 Goodwood: Star Of Orion
A draw in stall 10 might normally be a niggle but accepting that Star Of Orion will miss the kick and be held up makes it is less of an issue.
Ralph Beckett has this four-year-old in top form this season. Last time out at Ascot he was third under a penalty, beaten less than a length behind Baradar in a much more competitive event than this and is only 2lb higher here.
He was running off marks above 100 last summer and could still possibly be well in. With few of his rivals in the best of form and his yard red hot, I expect another good run here.
3.25 Cartmel: Eagle Terrace
Won in good style over course and distance last time and can follow up here off a 7lb higher mark.
That was his first run for Noel Kelly who has been sending over plenty horses to win at Cartmel and it is his jockey booking that takes the eye. Mr O McGill has just ridden a 40/1 winner at the Galway Festival and another for Kelly so is clearly a talented amateur who claims the 7lb here negating the rise in the weights.
It looks as though Eagle Terrace, who was at one time with John Gosden, has refound his form for a new trainer and he clearly stays well at this tricky track.
Have a day at the races on us. for more details.
3.35 York: Caius Chorister
With the sponsors, Sky Bet, offering eight places for the best handicap of the season, I have been seduced into looking for one at a big price and I fancy David Menusier has had this race in mind for Caius Chorister all season.
This filly, 25-1 with Sky Bet and 33-1 with firms offering fewer places, ran second in last year’s Melrose Handicap (the three-year-old version of the Ebor) behind a blot of William Haggas’s who bolted up and might well be up against another who is thrown in with Sweet William, who is set to go off very short here.
She has proven she stays this trip well and I think there is a decent chance she will get the lead here which suits her very well. I have looked through recent editions of the race and horses up near the pace often go very well, even if it is a while since a front-runner won (long time readers of my column will remember I went agonisingly close to having a massive touch when Glencadam Glory got beaten half a length after making the running in 2020).
Caius Chorister had a better prep race than it looked last time at Goodwood, where unsurprisingly she couldn’t get the lead over 10f , but was noted staying on nicely at the finish. Top of the ground is perfect for her and on extra place terms I feel we will get a good run for our money.
4.10 York: Tactical
I am happy to forgive Tactical for not picking his feet up in the Stewards’ Cup (racing was abandoned shortly after that race) and he has been dropped 3lb.
He has been a good horse in his day and Julie Camacho excels with horses like this who have had problems and hopefully will work the oracle once more.
There was a bit of a buzz for Tactical going around Goodwood on the back of quite an encouraging first run for the yard at Haydock and hopefully that buzz might re-emerge with Tom Marquand an eye-catching booking. Timeform has an Icicle next to the trainers’ name suggesting Julie Camacho is out of form, but Makanah ran a great fourth in the big 5f sprint on Wednesday for the stable .
Tactical will be a big price when he does win one of these and I don’t want to miss him when he does. Tactical has won a Group Two and last won a handicap off a mark of 10, so his excellent new trainer has a lot of potential to work with.
