Neil Morrice York Ebor Festival Day 4 Best Bets Saturday – 22 August 2026

YORK EBOR FESTIVAL DAY 4 BEST BETS SATURDAY

Race 1 SKY BET STRENSALL STAKES (Group 3)

No5 JONQUIL (Each Way)

Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Colin Keane

Balding’s domination at the meeting could receive another fillip through the strong travelling JONQUIL. Catching the Lope De Vega colt right is never easy but I thought he showed clear signs of being on the way back when making the podium in a conditions race at Goodwood. After a slow start he had plenty to do, but finished best of all. PERSICA is a tough cookie who usually turns up, and after a deserved first success of the season at Newbury takes a ring of confidence into battle. John Gosden adds cheek pieces to DAMYSUS who attracted plenty of support only to run into Wednesday’s Juddmonte hero Item in the Sky Bet Stakes last month. The Frankel colt drops back in trip under James Doyle. HANKELOW was a Group 3 winning juvenile who returns from a mid season break on just a sixth career start. If repeating his French Guineas form he would be right there in the shake-up.

Prediction: 1st JONQUIL, 2nd Persica, 3rd Damysus, 4th Hankelow

Race 2 SKY BET MELROSE HANDICAP

No2 INFRAAD (Each Way)

Trainer: Roger Varian – Jockey: Tom Marquand

In this good betting heat INFRAAD can bring his top game to the table. The son of Ghaiyyath got into a barging match with Hateen but held that foe at bay and survived a long stewards enquiry at Goodwood. He’s taken those exertions in his stride and is taken to emerge on top at the main expense of LIMESTONE. That colt completed a fine hat-trick in the Queen’s Vase at Ascot and though well beaten in the Grand Prix de Paris that form was boosted when Maltese Cross took out the Great Voltigeur earlier in the week. Limestone’s compatriot BAY OF STARS is very interesting as an only runner at the meeting for Dermot Weld. While his sole success happened on the AW the New Bay colt ran well in consecutive handicaps and is very unexposed. MYTHICAL BAY is three from five this season and though carded to go off a double figure price could be one to attract money. He’s looked progressive in his back-to-back Newbury triumphs.

Prediction: 1st INFRAAD, 2nd Limestone, 3rd Bay Of Stars, 4th Mythical Bay

Race 3 SKY BET CITY OF YORK STAKES (Group 1)

No7 ROGUE DIPLOMAT (Each Way)

Trainer: James Owen – Jockey: Harry Davies

ZAVATERI jumps off the page as one that can earn in the trickiest Group 1 of the week. The Greenham Stakes runner-up ran a blinder when just out of the money in the Sussex Stakes where he didn’t enjoy the rub of the green. The drop back to 1400 metres shouldn’t post a problem either. However, just preferred is ROGUE DIPLOMAT for who I can convey very good vibes from the stable. The Hunt Cup winner finished with a wet sail to lose out in a photo with Lake Forest in Goodwood’s Lennox Stakes which is very strong form to bring to the party. TEN BOB TONY wasn’t far adrift in that race after stunning the crowd in the Queen Anne. His prospects are always boosted when there’s cut in the ground. Japan’s SATONO REVE is classy and would be a deserving winner although he untried at this longer trip.

Prediction: 1st ROGUE DIPLOMAT, 2nd Zavateri, 3rd Ten Bob Tony, 4th Satono Reve

Race 4 SKY BET EBOR HANDICAP

No8 DAIQUIRI BAY (Each Way)

Trainer: Alan King – Jockey: Rossa Ryan

King has a penchant for getting his staying horses prepared to perfection for the major handicaps and this is the biggest of them all. His candidate DAIQUIRI BAY is unbeaten in two this season and when taking out Ascot’s Copper Horse Handicap displayed his trademark battling qualities to repel the persistent Gamrai. This has been on his radar ever since.

HOPEWELL ROCK was not disgraced in the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap at Ascot before beating Small Fry at Goodwood, form which was boosted by the second here on Wednesday. He’s a big player, while TARRIANCE carries the hallmark of one that’s been laid out for this. Andrew Balding’s gelding underwhelmed on two outings in the spring but when fourth to Hopewell Rock at Goodwood travelled best of all until blowing up. Ryan Moore’s presence on EMIT boosts that one’s chance, although the four-year-old has so far proved difficult to win with.

Prediction: 1st DAIQUIRI BAY, 2nd Hopewell Rock, 3rd Tarriance, 4th Mr Hollywood, 5th Emit

Race 5 SKY BET CONSTANTINE HANDICAP

No7 DANCE IN THE STORM (Each Way)

Trainer: Andrew Balding- Jockey: Oisin Murphy

Murphy gave DANCE IN THE STORM a peach when the combination scored at Chester where she is unbeaten. I fancy he will again bide his time on the filly who on her only previous run at this track a year ago finished third in the fillies’ heritage handicap. AIR FORCE ONE did us a good turn with his storming success over a slightly shorter trip here on Wednesday and is back for more. He’s copped a plum draw and should again enjoy a nice tow into the race. RED SPELLS DANGER powered clear at the Shergar Cup and has twice run well in defeat here this season. A slight worry is his draw on the nearside wing of the field. TOCA MADERA charged home two places behind Air Force One on the first day to make him a live threat, although he could also have been dealt a problem breaking from the 14 stall.

Prediction: 1st DANCE IN THE STORM, 2nd Air Force One, 3rd Red Spells Danger, 4th Toca Madera

Race 6 JULIA GRAVES ROSES STAKES (Listed)

No2 DANCE A JIG (Nap)

Trainer: Ralph Beckett- Jockey: Rossa Ryan

Owner Jeff Smith was unlucky not to see his juvenile The Dancing Pirate deliver on Wednesday but his runner here DANCE A JIG has the constitution to take a step up the class ladder in his stride. The Naval Crown colt fairly bolted up on when returning from a break on his nursery debut at Haydock last month and is clearly on the upgrade. DUBAI CHAMPION could turn out the best of five northern-trained runners as he went down narrowly to Revels in one of the best races of its type run this season at Goodwood. ADONIS had his impressive winning sequence brought to a halt by Pershaada in the Molecomb Stakes and his connections are realistically hopeful that he can regain the winning thread. SALE SHARK was just two lengths adrift in fourth in that Group 3, but on identical terms might struggle to turn it around.

Prediction: 1st DANCE A JIG, 2nd Dubai Champion, 3rd Adonis, 4th Sale Shark

Race 7 SKY BET DAV REID FINALE HANDICAP

No1 RAAMMEE

Trainer: Roger Varian – Jockey: Ray Dawson

This is a tough race if you’re looking to jump out of jail. Few in the 21-runner field don’t enter calculations and in selecting RAAMMEE I’m encouraged by the fact the top weight is having just a sixth career start and is hard to weigh up. Unbeaten in two AW starts last summer, the hooded gelding showed his liking for the Knavesmire when edging out Hand Of God in the John Smith’s Cup which is the best line of form on offer. He overcame a wide draw on that occasion but is in a more comfortable slot (5) today. AL AALI had been trained in France and Dubai before joining George Scott and goes to post on the back of victories at Newmarket and Goodwood that make him a major player. The John Gosden-trained ACCREDIT has a more than 300 day absence to deal with but the son of Dubawi is seriously considered on the evidence of two successes in easy conditions last autumn. DIEGO El QUESO is a relatively fresh horse, but has it to do with Al Aali on Chesterfield Cup form at Goodwood.

Prediction: 1st RAAMMEE, 2nd Al A’ALI, 3rd Accredit, 4th Diego El Queso