Rory Delargy and David Massey look ahead to today's action and highlight their best bets for York.
Racing betting tips: Friday August 21
1pt e.w. Jeddaal in 13:50 York at 14/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5) - min 11/1
1pt win Quickthorn in 14:25 York at 33/1 (General) - min 28/1
0.5pts e.w. Bint Aldaar in 17:20 York at 100/1 (bet365 1/5 1,2,3,4,5) - min 50/1
13:50 York - Sky Bet Mile Handicap 7f192y
JEDDAAL won with a bit in hand on good to soft ground at Chester two starts ago, beating Do Bronxs, and travelled best of all when a close fourth at Thirsk last time. He did a lot of work on the front end that day and lost two places in the dying strides, shaping better than the result; he’d been off since June, and it’s very possible that run was designed as a stepping stone to this, so a bit more improvement can be expected and unlike a few here, he will have benefited from Thursday’s rain.
On top of that, he remains unexposed after just three handicap starts and it’s worth remembering he beat Red Spells Danger (now rated 98) comfortably to win his maiden last autumn.
14:25 York - Lonsdale Cup (Group 2) 2m
Trip and ground will find some out in the Lonsdale Cup and if you view the race through that particular lens then there are really only two horses who have proven their worth on ground softer than good at two miles or further. Caballo De Mar has the best form in the conditions, but you do have to forgive a poor effort in the Gold Cup, where he looked very wobbly in the closing stages and was reported to have heat stress post-race. If recovered, he’s clearly the one to beat, but rank outsider QUICKTHORN is worth a second look despite a lengthy absence.
Those with good memories will remember his front-running demolition job in this way back in 2022, beating Coltrane sixteen lengths, and we should not forget he was a genuine Group 1 horse at his peak. The question is, of course, how much ability remains at the age of nine, and after 707 days away from the track.
There aren’t many better trainers at bringing one back off such a long absence than Hughie Morrison, who has a proven record of bring absentees back with a bang, and Quickthorn won’t mind the ground at all, four times a winner on good to soft and once on soft, according to Timeform.
The 33/1 is worth taking a chance on; let’s hope Tom Marquand can get the fractions right from the front because he could have plenty of these in trouble a long way out if so.
17:20 York - Sky Bet EBF Fillies Handicap 1m2½f
This is a race David loves having bagged the winner for the last two years. In 2024 we were on both the winner Canoodled and runner-up BINT AL DAAR who ran again in this last year, finishing well from a hopeless position to be seventh under an inexperienced claimer who massively overdid the waiting tactics - the truth is that you don’t hold her up - she holds herself up and needs working on from an early stage before picking up late.
That run is often too late, but she took advantage of a drop in the weights to score at Southwell in March and is just 1lb higher now. The truth is that she is a law unto herself and will probably drop herself out and get going too late, but a pace collapse is possible in this big field and that will suit her to a tee.
She needed the run at Ascot recently after a 100-day absence and should at least be fit and fresh enough to do herself justice, if she chooses to. At 100/1, we are more than happy to trade her temperament for the raw ability that remains.
Preview posted 09:42 BST on 21/08/26
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