Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Friday’s racing coming your way from day three of the York Ebor Festival as well as the best of the rest from Newmarket and Goodwood on 25 August 2023.
YORK EBOR FESTIVAL DAY 3
Race 2 WEATHERBYS HAMILTON LONSDALE CUP (Group 2)
No2 QUICKTHORN
Trainer: Hughie Morrison – Jockey: Tom Marquand
If QUICKTHORN caught his rivals napping at the start of the Goodwood Cup you would expect the opposition in this fascinating two-miler to be on their guard to prevent lightning striking twice. There’s no doubt that when my selection gets onto an easy lead he can be difficult to peg back, and he demonstrated it when grittily hanging on in a Listed race on his previous start here.
Importantly this is the time of year when you want to be with the six-year-old, remembering that in this very race he completed a fine hat-trick 12 months ago. Marquand was in the saddle on each of those occasions as well as at Goodwood and the combination looks formidable. Front running tactics have proved bountiful in more than one race already here, and Quickthorn is selected to confirm his superiority over COLTRANE and COURAGE MON AMI
Prediction: 1st QUICKTHORN, 2nd Coltrane, 3rd Courage Mon Ami
Race 3 AL BASTI EQUIWORLD DUBAI GIMCRACK STAKES (Group 2)
No7 KING’S GAMBLE
Trainer: Ralph Beckett – Jockey: Danny Tudhope
Although he has no experience at Group level, KING’S GAMBLE jumps off the page as the likely winner of this historic race. The son of Kingman made a big impression when converting on his Newmarket introduction to prove a rare first-time out winner from his trainer’s juvenile team.
Most of Beckett’s youngsters go a long way forward on their second starts, and if that’s the case with this fellow he can prove a thorn in the side of the Aidan O’Brien-trained Johannes Brahms, with Jehangeer and Kylian dangers from the local contingent. Furthermore, the fact his owners paid to supplement him into this adds further weight to his claims.
Prediction: 1st KING’S GAMBLE, 2nd Johannes Brahms, 3rd Kylian
Race 4 COOLMORE WOOTTON BASSETT NUNTHORPE STAKES (Group 1)
No10 HIGHFIELD PRINCESS (Nap)
Trainer: John Quinn – Jockey: Jason Hart
The horse the whole of Yorkshire is most looking forward to watching is HIGHFIELD PRINCESS who is a short-priced favourite to repeat her 2022 triumph in this sizzling sprint, and rightly so. The much-travelled mare was at her peak at this point last year and appears to be so again, judging from the nonchalant way she kicked her King George Stakes rivals into submission at Goodwood three weeks ago. Further success today should tee up the darling of the county for another trip to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita in November.
Amongst the numerically strong opposition is Royal Ascot scorer BRADSELL but a roughie worth putting into your exotics is QUEEN ME, who can improve now back to five furlongs, while two-year-old BIG EVS is also respected.
Prediction: 1st HIGHFIELD PRINCESS, 2nd Big Evs, 3rd Queen Me, 4th Bradsell
Race 5 No4 CHELSEA GREEN (Each Way)
Trainer: Hugo Palmer – Jockey: Rossa Ryan
One to consider as a speculative wager in this fillies’ handicap is CHELSEA GREEN. The daughter of U S Navy Flag came from last to first to score on her Newmarket reappearance and though down the field at Royal Ascot bounced back with a solid earning run in a Listed race at Vichy.
Race 6 No14 VOLTERRA (Each Way)
Trainer: Kevin Ryan – Jockey: Tom Eaves
Named after a charismatic owner from the fifties and sixties, VOLTERRA is the subject of favourable reports and could outperform his double-figure odds for a trainer who wouldn’t introduce him at this meeting unless he felt he could be competitive. A market check is certainly worth making on the son of Farhh.
NEWMARKET
Race 1 No3 IMITATE (Nap)
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute – Jockey: Richard Kingscote
My best news in a fascinating opener is for Frankel filly IMITATE. She’s impressed in her work leading up to this introduction and against seven other newcomers can show that she possesses star quality in the same silks carried by her sire.
Race 2 No9 REGAL FANFARE (Each Way)
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute – Jockey: Richard Kingscote
The Stoute/Kingscote combination can also claim a cheque with Intello filly REGAL FANFARE who though failing to menace on her first handicap run returns fresh and fancied from a mid season break.
GOODWOOD
Race 2 No1 FRANCOPHONE
Trainer: Charlie Johnston – Jockey: Joe Fanning
Having experienced a rare drought at the big meeting here earlier in the month you wouldn’t put it past the Johnstons to strike back at a course from where they rarely leave empty-handed. Study Of Man filly FRANCOPHONE gives them a fine chance of success in this fillies’ novice and can by remaining unbeaten underline the quality of her Ayr debut triumph.
Race 5 No3 QUEEN EMMA (Nap)
Trainer: William Haggas – Jockey: Adam Farragher
QUEEN EMMA is the only one in the field with an upwardly mobile profile, and having readily opened her account last time the Saxon Warrior filly can follow-up in this handicap debut assignment.
Jackpot Perm (Races 3-6)
3, 5, 1 x 3, 1, 4 x Field x 5, 6, 9, 3
R144
