Ebor Festival day two tips: Mike Cattermole's preview
Mike Cattermole previews day two of the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival as Nezwaah is the each-way pick in the Yorkshire Oaks.
Enable arrives for the Darley Yorkshire Oaks on day two of the Ebor Festival with her huge reputation enhanced even further after Ulysses, no match for her in the King George, brushed aside the younger colts in Tuesday’s Juddmonte.
The brilliant winner of both the Epsom and Irish Oaks (Coronet well held in both) is already a hot favourite for the Arc and fully entitled to be a very short price indeed to make it a rare Oaks treble here, last achieved by Alexandrova in 2006.
Sky Bet: Money Back if 2nd, 3rd or 4th in the first race at York
Only if a hard race at Ascot has left its mark would fans of Enable be worried about her not being at her best. Indeed, this happened to Taghrooda, who was turned over here at odds of 5/1 on after her King George heroics, also for John Gosden, but she bounced back later to run third in the Arc.
Enable is going to be very hard to beat but the value could lie elsewhere as
Nezwaah arrives here in the form of her life, having won the Group One Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in brilliant style.
She tries a mile and a half for the first time, something that she should appreciate on pedigree, and although she has also never tried an easy surface before, both her sire and dam were not inconvenienced by it.
She might be the bet of the race each-way at 7/1.
I am also a fan of Queen’s Trust but she has disappointed on two of her three starts this season and although she has the talent to bounce back, her profile is not as upwardly mobile as Nezwaah’s.
Although there is a big field lining up for the opening Goffs Premier Yearling Conditions Stakes, there is only a handful that appeal.
De Bruyne Horse has some useful form in the book but he has to give weight away and his progress has rather flattened out lately. He scrambled home at Vichy last time so perhaps the fitting of blinkers might help.
Alba Power is likeable and a reproduction of his last two runs at Newmarket and Ascot also puts him in there.
However, Great Prospector must have first-rate claims after his third in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket last time behind Gustav Klimt, form that has been boosted by the runner-up Nebo, who went on to finish second in the Richmond Stakes, and fourth Zaman who chased home Expert Eye in the Vintage.
Dropping back to six furlongs should not be a concern as he won well over the trip on his debut when ridden for speed. The easier ground is an unknown, however.
Extraordinarily, Aidan O’Brien has never won the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes but he has a chance this time with Actress, who boasts the best form in the line-up and is getting better with experience.
Her latest third against the colts in the Phoenix Stakes is standout form, with only Sioux Nation and the hitherto unbeaten Beckford in front of her and some useful performers behind. That, however, was on good to firm and the ground is a query for her, too.
Madeline won nicely at Newbury and both Special Purpose and Threading are all about potential. They both won their last races on an easy surface and Threading was especially impressive at Goodwood on soft. She could be smart and gets a narrow vote.
The Clipper Logistics Handicap looks a cracker and gives Flaming Spear another chance to show what he is made of after an amazing burst to win at Newcastle in January. He didn’t show the same spark at Ascot last month but that was his first run for six months and he may have needed it.
Frankie Dettori has picked El Hayem over El Vip and Qassem and his choice is respected after his win at Sandown for which he is up just 4lb. However, any rain that falls may be against him.
Laidback Romeo is a model of consistency and is doing well but he is drawn very wide whereas Chelsea Lad is drawn low and comes here on the back of two sound efforts, both here and at Windsor.
In May, only Here Comes When, the future Sussex winner, was too good for him in the Hambleton Handicap (good to soft) and a reproduction of that may well be good enough as the surface has no fears for him.
Related links
Sky Bet's latest York prices
More from our racing columnists
All our latest York previews & tips
Next Off
Most Followed
MOST READ RACING
