Chris Day with his early Saturday fancies at York

After a quiet weekend for UK Racing fans, York stages it’s four day Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival culminating in a cracking card on Saturday.

The Group Three Sky Bet and Symphony Group Strensall Stakes kicks things off at 1.50 with a tremendous contest over the specialist trip of 9 furlongs with the winners of the last two renewals, Zaaki and Lord Glitters bidding to follow up.

The latter probably holds the stronger claims although there are others in opposition who may be more progressive.

Sir Michael Stoute, who has his horses in top form now, has the highly-regarded Highest Ground entered. He’s out to make amends for his odds on defeat in the Dante last time but something tells me he’s next year’s horse for races like the Coral-Eclipse and King George.

Dark Vision is having a cracking season with victories in the Royal Hunt Cup and a Listed race at Pontefract on his CV. Highly thought of at two, he’s now fulfilling his potential although he may have been lucky to win last time when he definitely hampered those in behind.

The horse I thought who was most hard done to there was BERINGER, who was beaten just a neck in that race and would likely have won over another furlong as he flew down the outside once extricated from his position on the inside at the West Yorkshire track.

His best form was when beaten three-quarters of a length by subsequent Prince Of Wales' Stakes winner Lord North in the Cambridgeshire with four lengths back to the third and he ought to come on for the Pontefract run which was his seasonal debut.

He's been put at 14/1 by the sponsors and makes plenty of appeal.

The Sky Bet Melrose Stakes at 2.25 is a traditionally warm race for three-year-old stayers and always targeted by the big stables.

Arguably the best form on offer comes from Kipps who finished second to Hukum at Royal Ascot. His conqueror that day is now a legitimate St Leger contender after winning the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury but Hughie Morrison’s runner-up does keep going up in the weights without winning and is stepping up almost four furlongs after a slightly disappointing run at Newmarket.

Alan King runs Midnight Legacy, who is promising after two Haydock wins and keeps eking out improvement for a step up in trip so has to be considered a danger but the one I think stands out on form is the William Haggas trained FAVOURITE MOON.

The trainer loves to have winners at York and in this race and he seems to have kept this horse fresh for the Melrose after beating subsequent Hamilton Listed winner Subjectivist at Haydock six weeks ago. He did a fair bit wrong there but still won with a bit in hand and is only 7lb higher as a result. He's 9/2 and I think he'll be very hard to beat.

There’s a very competitive Group Two at 3.00, the Sky Bet City of York Stakes and John Quinn’s Safe Voyage sets a high standard on his unlucky in running fourth to subsequent Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest winner, Space Blue at Goodwood last time. That was the second time he’d finished behind Charlie Appleby’s improver and he will doubtless run his race here.

Limato comes here after another impressive win in Newmarket’s Criterion Stakes but he really needs to hear his hooves rattle to show his best and the weather forecast suggests that is unlikely at the weekend.

The horse I like at the prices is JUBILOSO, a four-year-old filly with the Stoute team. She was considered a star at three after destroying her field at Newbury and finished a close up third to French superstar Watch Me in last year’s Coronation Stakes.

Her form did tail off after but the fact she’s been kept in training at four by such powerful connections shows the regard in which she is held. Her best form makes her tough to beat here getting the mares’ allowance and, if you can forgive her a poor run in the Duke of Cambridge last time out, odds of 10/1 look generous in a race where there’s not a lot of Group One form on show.

The Sky Bet Ebor is the big betting race of the day at 3.40 and Willie Mullins has three entered as he tries to win this big pot. Buildmeupbuttercup always runs well and must be on the premises, Stratum has been a great horse to own and won more than one of these big handicaps in the past and True Self finished sixth here last year but may have nothing to hide from the handicapper.

Deja would be a popular winner for Peter Chapple-Hyam and he followed up an excellent second in a Royal Ascot’s Duke of Edinburgh by waltzing always with the Old Newton Cup last time but is up 7lbs as a result and that could prove his undoing.

Similar comments applying to Fujaira Prince, up 9lbs for his win in a new race at Royal Ascot over this trip.

There are two I like here, firstly Alan King’s TRUESHAN, who spreadeagled a big field from a mark of 93 at Newmarket last autumn and should be cherry ripe after staying on doggedly to win a Haydock Listed contest over a mile-and-a-half last time. King’s horses on the flat have been flying and he certainly knows how to get one ready for the big day. At 8-1 I can’t see him being out of the frame as long as he doesn’t suffer in-running misfortune.

The other one I like is Hughie Morrison’s LE DON DE VIE, who tries the trip for the first time but might have beaten the horse who is favourite for this, Pablo Escobarr, at Goodwood last time. He’s 2lbs better off and he could easily have won with a clear passage so odds around 14-1 are too good to miss.

Chris' York Saturday fancies

1.50 Beringer

2.25 Favourite Moon

3.00 Jubiloso

3.40 Trueshan & Le Don De Vie

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