Neil Morrice York Ebor Festival Day 1 Best Bets Tuesday – 18 August 2026

YORK EBOR FESTIVAL DAY 1 BEST BETS TUESDAY

Race 1 HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB WORLD POOL HANDICAP

No18 AIR FORCE ONE (Each Way)

Trainer: Geoff Oldroyd – Jockey: PJ McDonald

The ‘horses for courses’ adage can pay off in this good betting race with AIR FORCE ONE taken to blitz them in the final 400 metres. The five-year-old raced off 1lb lower and was beaten just threequarters of a length in a blanket finish on his last start here a month ago. He figures when competing at York read 791322053, while he often attracts market support. He’s closely matched with a few of his opponents but that latest effort was heavily boosted by Red Spells Danger, and in my humble opinion is the best on offer. A younger and improving type is Ed Bethell’s COROLLA POINT who was good value for his latest win and is up only 3lb. His stable is enjoying a bountiful summer, while he remains unexposed. APOLLO ONE may appear to have drifted into racing’s wilderness but this former Group winner owns a tumbling mark, and could easily bounce back if enjoying the rub of the green. TOCA MADERA proved one of the biggest eye catchers at the meeting when flying home in Goodwood’s Stewards’ Cup. After travelling strongly he couldn’t get out until it was too late, making him very solid as he seeks to put the record straight.

Prediction: 1st AIR FORCE ONE, 2nd Corolla Point, 3rd Apollo One, 4th Toca Madera, 5th Trefor

Race 2 TATTERSALLS ACOMB STAKES (Group 3)

No6 GENTLE HURRICANE (Each Way)

Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Oisin Murphy

What appeals about GENTLE HURRICANE in a race that has thrown up Derby horses is that he’s the only unbeaten runner in the 11-strong field. The son of Invincible Spirit clearly knew his job on his Salisbury introduction as he was always in the firing line and forged clear under hand riding as the first two pulled away. His dam Marsh Daisy was a black type filly, and granted the selection was never touched with the whip he could have plenty more to offer. Setting the standard on the evidence of the form book is HAFFNER, who in the colours of Peter Brant went down narrowly in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood. It appears Ryan Moore favours his chances over those of CONFICIUS, who is a well developed individual and sure to be competitive as he started 2-1 favourite for the Coventry Stakes before consecutively troubling the judge in a Group 3 and a Group 2 at the Curragh.

Prediction: 1st GENTLE HURRICANE, 2nd Haffner, 3rd Confucius

Race 3 SKY BET GREAT VOLTIGEUR STAKES (Group 3)

No5 PIERRE BONNARD

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Wayne Lordan

Coolmore is running the gauntlet over this important St Leger trial by firing a trident attack, but it’s not easy to know which is their Number One. Ryan Moore has elected to partner CHRISTMAS DAY who won the Derby and finished second in the Irish Derby and now resumes off a short break. The son of Camelot will appreciate the sporadic showers that have fallen on the Knavesmire. MALTESE CROSS is closely matched with him after finishing a two and a quarter lengths second at Epsom, and trainer William Haggas has always considered this Sea The Stars colt an ideal type for the longer Final Classic at Doncaster. He’s racing on the back of a gritty triumph in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris, but is probably more ground dependent than his market rival. His connections would love to see rain. Delving back into Coolmore’s sparkle jar brings us to PIERRE BONNARD, who was only a neck behind Christmas Day in the Irish Derby and started 7-2 second favourite when failing to menace in the Premier Classic. While his best form has happened on less fast conditions than today, including a two-year-old success in a Group 1 in France, he crucially gets 5lb from the two in front of him in the betting which can tip the scales in his favour.

Prediction: 1st PIERRE BONNARD, 2nd Christmas Day, 3rd Maltese Cross

Race 4 JUDDMONTE INTERNATIONAL STAKES (Group 1)

No3 OMBUDSMAN (Nap)

Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: William Buick

Many of the finest judges and doyens of the sport see this as the best race of the season, and with OMBUDSMAN locking horns with CONSTITUTION RIVER it’s not difficult to see why. Ombudsman is a four time Group 1 winner out to repeat his 2025 triumph in the race. In contrast, his rival is a two years younger French Derby and Coral-Eclipse winner whose wide margin Sandown success has been firmly franked. The son of Wootton Bassett is trying to make this a sixth win on the bounce and will be equally as comfortable over the trip and on the faster ground. OMBUDSMAN stated his case as the best older horse in Europe with his scintillating triumph in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. He was then easy to back in the ante post market for today’s race raising speculation that he hadn’t worked well, but John Gosden waved the rumour aside and that will do for me. This is a seriously talented horse. His trademark turn of foot can prove the deciding factor, when the gloves are off. The Aga Khan’s famous colours seem to be winning everything in sight, and with that in mind Dubawi colt ZAYDANN is the type that can run into the money. It was only a Group 3 that he landed at Vichy but he did it easily, while it was his fifth win on the bounce. ITEM brings good course form to the table from the Dante, and while Andrew Balding’s Frankel colt couldn’t back it up in the Derby he posted another Knavesmire success when smoothly accounting for PRIDE OF ARRAS in the Group 2 York Stakes.

Prediction: 1st OMBUDSMAN, 2nd Item, 3rd Constitution River, 4th Zaydann

Race 5 SKY BET STAYERS HANDICAP

No7 TEAM PLAYER (Each Way)

Trainer: Ewan Whillans – Jockey: Greg Fairley

Over the past couple of seasons TEAM PLAYER has served this column well, though it was agonising to see him somehow get pipped by SHRIMP SHADY at Newbury when he looked certain to win. He’d been given a lot to do when down the field in the Northumberland Plate and remains fairly unexposed. He’s going to enjoy the likely strong pace and will have plenty of time to mount his challenge in the long home straight.

IN THE BREEZE is a fascinating runner out of a yard mainly associated with National Hunt. He greatly appreciated a step up in trip when scoring easily at Goodwood for which he is 6lb higher. He can probably handle that, while his chance has hardly been impaired by the booking of Colin Keane to ride. SMALL FRY is in some people’s view a winner without a penalty after getting boxed in at Goodwood. Joseph O’Brien’s charge powered home, looked most unlucky, and is only 2lb higher. VALEDICTORY failed to handle the undulations when a staying on fifth in the same contest, and having won his previous two starts on more conventional tracks should adore the wide expanse of the Knavesmire. A roughie that could pep up the exotic dividends is FIREBLADE, who ran well at the Shergar Cup and usually finds his way into the money.

Prediction: 1st TEAM PLAYER, 2nd In The Breeze, 3rd Small Fry, 4th Valedictory, 5th Fireblade

Race 6 IRISH THOROUGHBRED MARKETING HANDICAP

No3 REVIVAL POWER (Each Way)

Trainer: Tim Easterby – Jockey: Colin Keane

If REVIVAL POWER were to win this she would be the most appropriately named runner at the meeting. The reason – she was a lightning fast Group 2 and Listed winning two-year-old who appears to have failed to train on. That’s because in three outings in 2026 she’s had plenty more opponents in front of her than behind, including on two visits to the Knavesmire. I’m going to opt for the reverse psychology on this occasion and back her to bounce back. If she can use her natural speed from her high draw she could prove hard to catch, remembering this is just her second ever run in a handicap. Towards the head of the market the Karl Burke-trained ZAIN PRIMUS is respected. The son of Pinatubo has benefitted from a drop back in trip and his stable are looking for a third win in the contest in the last six years. NAANA’S SHADOW is 8lb higher than for her Goodwood triumph but gets into the argument as a course and distance winner. POATAN hails from a very much in form George Scott stable and troubled the judge on first run back in a Sandown Listed sprint. He enters calculations as he should progress from it, while MANATEE MEHMAS doesn’t need to find much to figure, and now has his tongue tied down.

Prediction: 1st REVIVAL POWER, 2nd Zain Primus, 3rd Naana’s Shadow, 4th Poatan, 5th Manatee Mehmas

Race 7 SKY BET NURSERY

No14 THE DANCING PIRATE (Each Way)

Trainer: Andrew Balding- Jockey: Oisin Murphy

We finish with a red hot nursery in which the best can be seen of THE DANCING PIRATE. The son of Blackbeard was one of the most heavily supported horses at the Qatar Goodwood Festival on nursery debut but did too much too soon and weakened. Similar support followed him on his previous start in a Chester maiden only for him to run into one. His trainer reaches for cheek pieces today, while from his draw on the wing of this big field he could well be in the best place. BRANDENBURG is progressive, impressed on his latest start at Hamilton and is also versatile ground-wise. He’s getting plenty of weight from those at the forefront of the market. SAVAGE MARINER hails from the yard that won this 12 month ago and is something of a wild card, having failed to build on his promising first run. He went out like a light after being backed for a maiden at Goodwood, but with blinkers added is dangerous to leave out. DUBAI CHAMPION represents the same Goodwood form as my selection, having been caught on the line that day. With Ryan Moore doing the steering he’s a must include, along with prolific scorer HAVANA SPRITE.

Prediction: 1st THE DANCING PIRATE, 2nd Brandenburg, 3rd Savage Mariner, 4th Havana Sprite, 5th Dubai Champion