Neil Morrice York Ebor Festival Day 3 Best Bets Friday – 21 August 2026

YORK EBOR FESTIVAL DAY 3 BEST BETS FRIDAY

Race 1 SKY BET MILE HANDICAP

No5 BLUE COURVOISIER (Each Way)
Trainer: Clive Cox – Jockey: Rossa Ryan

From a plum draw BLUE COURVOISIER should command our attention in a good betting race to open Day 3. The Sea The Stars colt has experienced mixed fortunes at two other festivals, being well down the field in Ascot’s Britannia but then beaten less than a length into third by Crest Of Fire at Goodwood. On the latter occasion he only gave best in the final 100 yards, and comes here with a mission to show he can handle the soft, as he’s never raced on it. OUTBACK HEAT brings very strong Ascot form to the table as a live danger, having finished best of all when second in the Britannia. The handicapper has had his say, but I fancy it will be much closer between the pair this time. WELBURY is a three times scorer for Ed Bethell in 2026 and was most impressive at Redcar last time. However, this ground is an unknown factor for him. IRONWILL grabs me as a tasty outsider although he will need plenty to go right from stall 17. In his favour is that he’s versatile ground wise.

Prediction: 1st BLUE COURVOISIER, 2nd Outback Heat, 3rd Welbury, 4th Ironwill

Race 2 WEATHERBYS LONSDALE CUP (Group 2)

No9 QUICKTHORN (Each Way)
Trainer: Hughie Morrison – Jockey: Tom Marquand

With plenty of rain around the York area this week I’m looking outside the box for an upset in this stamina test. Hughie Morrison has by his standards been quiet for most of the year but he makes an audacious attempt to take away the money with dual course winner QUICKTHORN, who is racing for the first time in almost two years. The nine-year-old numbers this race in 2022 and the Listed Ebor Grand Cup the following year as part of his CV, and importantly he loves soft ground. Morrison will have him ready, and don’t be surprised if the nine-year-old tries to dominate. CABALLA DE MAR will rightly start favourite and is the one to beat on the book. The dual Group 1 winner did too much from the front in the Gold Cup but had previously given a good account on each of his previous three starts. MOUNT ATLAS was a narrow winner of the Group 3 John Smith’s Silver Cup here last time and is versatile ground-wise. AMILOC disgraced himself when unseating his pilot at the start of the Goodwood Cup but is a talented individual who needs considering.

Prediction: 1st QUICKTHORN, 2nd Caballo De Mar, 3rd Mount Atlas, 4th Amiloc

Race 3 AL BASTI EQUIWORLD DUBAI GIMCRACK STAKES (Group 2)

No3 ARAPAHO GOLD (Nap)
Trainer: Michael Dods – Jockey: Connor Beasley

To have a northern trained colt heading the market for this famous race brings a breath of fresh air with it. ARAPAHO GOLD defends a three race unbeaten record in which he’s improved from race to race. He found more when it mattered when landing the Rose Bowl Stakes (Listed) at Newbury and should give it a good shot against a well touted Coolmore opponent in MARCO POLO. Although beaten, he finished strongly on debut in a race that’s worked out. That said, he races off levels against a more experienced foe whose latest win has also been well franked. ADAAY OF SCARLETT brings the strongest form into play courtesy of his second in the Coventry Stakes and subsequent podium finishes in Group races at Newmarket and Goodwood which makes him a must include in exactas, trifectas and quartets.

Prediction: 1st ARAPAHO GOLD, 2nd Marco Polo, 3rd Adaay Of Scarlett

Race 4 COOLMORE CITY OF TROY NUNTHORPE STAKES (Group 1)

No15 RAYEVKA (Each Way)
Trainer: Francis Graffard – Jockey: Mickael Barzalona

All the talk ahead of the featured Nunthorpe Stakes has been about US sprinter BACIO who literally blew his rivals away in the Palace Of Holyroodhouse at Royal Ascot. He dominated the group on the favoured stands side to come home unchallenged, but we have to factor in that was against handicappers and this is a Group 1. RAYEVKA provides a tempting alternative for a Francis Graffard yard that’s enjoyed the most bountiful of summers. The famous Aga Khan colours are not often associated with top sprinters but this daughter of Blue Point has shown on her last two starts that she’s greatly improved. The four-year-old landed some good bets in the Group 3 Prix de Saint-George’s at Longchamp and in the King Charles III Stakes found only Mission Central her master. That foe was subsequently found wanting in the July Cup, and is therefore unlikely to confirm his Ascot superiority. Bigger threats loom from the flying two-year-old PERSHAADA, who gets a whopping 24lb at weight for age from the selection. Richard Hannon’s filly dazzled in the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood and should enter calculations, while at longer odds RUMSTAR has done nothing wrong, always runs his race and can again figure.

Prediction: 1st RAYEVKA, 2nd Bacio, 3rd Pershaada, 4th Rumstar

Race 5 ASSURED DATA PROTECTION HANDICAP

No7 MASTER BUILDER (Each Way)
Trainer: David Menuisier – Jockey: Tom Marquand

By his standards Menuisier has endured a quiet 2026 so far, but lifting the gloom could be MASTER BUILDER for whom there is much to recommend. Not only is the grey a course and distance winner but he’s shown on several occasions that he’s at his best and fully in the comfort zone with plenty of cut in the ground. He’s a strong traveller who can quicken, and I expect him to attract plenty of market support. From a ground perspective PLAGE DE HAVRE is of the same ilk. He’s been scratched a couple of times and after travelling sweetly went out like a light on a fast terrain at Newmarket. The top weight can reveal his true ability here, and should also get into the shake up. PRIMO LARA put in a seasonal best when scoring at Ascot last month and remains on a handy enough mark. TRUTH BE TOLD has been running well in Ireland and could prove the pick of two challengers from the Emerald Isle.

Prediction: 1st MASTER BUILDER, 2nd Plage De Havre, 3rd Primo Lara, 4th Truth Be Told

Race 6 BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF CONVIVIAL MAIDEN STAKES

No5 LANCASTER TOWER
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: William Buick

Nothing would be more welcome than a winner in the colours of the King and I imagine Gosden has had this on LANCASTER TOWER’s radar ever since his promising first outing at Sandown. The Kingman colt was backed from odds against to odds on, but after getting into a battle with Quest For Stars weakened up the final hill. Importantly he has come on for that and can now parry the challenge of OKLAHOMA, who was rolled as a 30-100 shot at Killarney. Aidan O’Brien reaches for cheek pieces with his runner, which is a source of concern. Two newcomers well worth a market check are the Andrew Balding-trained MY REMAS who being by Lope De Vega should relish underfoot conditions. Kevin Ryan habitually brings his best juveniles to this meeting which means MAGWITCH, a son of champion sire Night Of Thunder, is also well worth considering.

Prediction: 1st LANCASTER TOWER, 2nd Oklahoma, 3rd My Remas, 4th Magwitch

Race 7 SKY BET FILLIES’ HANDICAP

No12 FOOD FOR THOUGHT (Each Way)
Trainer: Ralph Beckett – Jockey: Edward Greatrex

FOOD FOR THOUGHT has knocked on the door since opening her account at Nottingham and made a bold attempt to go from the front at Newmarket. She gets this mile and a quarter well, and in a percentage call can repel the challenges of PLAID and SILVER LAKE. Plaid failed to handle the easy conditions at Goodwood which is a worry, but she brings winning and placed form from Hamilton to the party which reads well. SILVER LAKE landed some good bets that forced her to odds on at the Goodwood Festival having opened her account at Salisbury. She was very impressive at Goodwood after leading over two furlongs out and finding plenty off the bridle. A roughie with few miles on her clock who could claim a cheque is ELECTRIFARHH, for whom any support could be significant.

Prediction: 1st FOOD FOR THOUGHT, 2nd Plaid, 3rd Silver Lake, 4th Electrifarhh