Our form expert has followed his 14/1 and 6/1 winners on the first two days at York with a 16/1 Friday winner - don't miss the latest selections.
The Verdict: Friday August 22
0.5pts e.w. Asgard’s Captain in 1.50 York at 16/1 (BetVictor, Betfred 1/5 1,2,3)
1pt win Al Qareem in 2.25 York at 7/1 (General)
1pt e.w. Frost At Dawn in 3.35 York at 20/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4)
1pt win Power Of Destiny in 4.10 York at 14/1 (William Hill)
Touch of Frost in the Nunthorpe
With no standout sprinter at the top level the market for the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes has attracted unexposed horses towards the top with the bookies backing away from potential.
The two-year-old Lady Iman and the three-year-old Arizona Blaze are the two that have found their way to the top of the betting and both have to be respected with Ger Lyons’ juvenile getting bags of weight from the older horses.
However, they’ve been very well found and with neither proven in top-level open sprint company I’d rather side with experience as that is what often comes to the fore in the Nunthorpe.
In the last 13 renewals 12 have been won by horses four and older and you have to take notice of the remarkable record of fillies and mares in this race, too, with eight winning the Nunthorpe since Margot Did got the ball rolling in 2011.
With that in mind I’m drawn to the claims of William Knight’s four-year-old FROST AT DAWN as she has improved markedly in a visor this year and this looks the race for her given her very speedy running style.
She’s not unlike Highfield Princess in the way she started her career over further but she is getting quicker with age and the best performance of her life came at Royal Ascot where she burned off everything bar American Affair in the King Charles III Stakes.
That was hard evidence that five furlongs on good to firm ground is right up her street and she ran a very good race behind Jm Jungle at Goodwood in the King George Qatar Stakes considering the ground went slightly against her.
She showed her customary early speed and was only beaten a length and three quarters in fourth, but she can return to her Royal Ascot form here from a good low draw in six on quicker ground.
Mickael Barzalona was on her at Ascot and he’s back on board the daughter of Frosted here. His instructions from Knight will be simple – get out quickly and keep going.
That’s what you want on the Knavesmire and at 20/1 she looks a fair each-way bet getting the four places.
The Verdict: Back FROST AT DAWN in the 3.35 York
Take on the Trawler in Lonsdale
Trawlerman will be all the rage in the Group 2 Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup Stakes and of course the Gold Cup winner deserves to be a short price given he’s the clear form horse in the race.
However, there’s a scenario where he might look vulnerable and that’s if Clifford Lee can get out and dictate the fractions on Karl Burke’s AL QAREEM who looks worth backing at around 7/1.
When Trawlerman has been beaten in the past it has largely been off slower gallops when the emphasis has been on speed and as we know his main attribute is that he’s a really strong stayer.
Under a penalty on quicker ground at York over two miles things are not guaranteed to fall his way, especially in a small field with a lack of pace on, and in Al Qareem he faces a very dangerous rival in such a scenario.
This horse is at his best when making the running in small fields and he loves quicker ground, while he’s developed a real affinity for York having won here over 1m6f on his last two starts.
In June he beat Willie Mullins’ Absurde and dual subsequent winner El Cordobes, so his form is stacking up as well and he’s a good horse to have on your side in a battle as he’s a frequent winner as 11 career victories show.
The only negative is that he’s been well beaten on his last five goes over two miles, but if he’s going to get the trip anywhere it’s at York in the summer when he’s dictating matters from the front end.
The Verdict: Back AL QAREEM in the 2.25 York
Lots of love for Power play
The best bet in the handicaps on day three is POWER OF DESTINY in the Assured Data Protection EBF Fillies’ Handicap over 10 furlongs at 4.10.
This is the sort of race her ex-trainer Sir Michael Stoute used to farm so it was no wonder she was sent off 9/2 for this very contest 12 months ago where she bombed out.
Her new trainer Ralph Beckett quickly got her back on track on the all-weather where she won at Kempton and ran well at Lingfield, but she’s dropped 6lb since then back to a mark of 87 after being well beaten at Chester and Goodwood.
However, she was drawn 12 of 12 at Chester and used up far too much energy in getting to the lead, while she ran okay at Goodwood after racing too keenly in the rear.
It all means she’s just 1lb above her last winning mark and Beckett is just the man to complete a plan over 12 months in the making.
The Verdict: Back POWER OF DESTINY in the 4.10 York
Eye Captain in York opener
Finally, the opening Sky Bet Handicap over 1m4f looks tricky with many in with chances but I thought Dylan Cunha’s ASGARD’S CAPTAIN was worth a small each-way interest.
He looked right back on good terms with himself at the Shergar Cup at Ascot where he drew Katie Davis and he was keen for her early on before he stayed on really well for a two-length fifth.
That’s good evidence he can be competitive here off the same mark of 88 and John Egan takes the ride this time 14 months on from when he rode him into third place in the Northern Dancer Handicap at Epsom.
He got him settled nicely that day and he must’ve passed on his secrets to son David who won the Great Metropolitan on Asgard’s Captain at Epsom’s April meeting where he bolted up by over four lengths.
After trying two miles in the Northumberland Plate and 1m6f on soft ground at Yarmouth he’s come back down the weights a little and is only 4lb higher than his Great Met win here.
Back at 1m4f and with good York form in his locker he could bounce back to his best at a big price.
The Verdict: Back ASGARD’S CAPTAIN in the 1.50 York
Preview posted at 1602 BST on 21/08/25
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