Our form expert has four selections for day two of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival at York on Thursday.
The Verdict: Thursday August 20
1pt win Wild Blossom in 13:50 York at 17/2 (BetVictor, Ladbrokes)
1pt e.w Eternal Force in 15:00 York at 12/1 (bet365, William Hill 1/5 1,2,3,4,5)
0.5pts e.w Inis Mor in 15:35 York at 18/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3)
0.5pts e.w Merveilleux Lapin in 16:10 York at 33/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4)
Mor money in the Yorkshire Oaks
Day one at York was wet and more rain is forecast heading into day two of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival and while it’s difficult to judge how much and how it will affect the conditions, the fast ground horses will likely be inconvenienced.
I want my selections either proven on a bit of cut or expected to handle it at the very least, so it does change the complexion slightly heading into Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks day.
The Group 1 feature revolves around the King George winner, Kalpana, who looks the clear form pick at her best but does have something to prove.
She’ll be fine whatever the weather does, but she did have a hard race at Ascot last time and all of her very best form is at that right-handed and testing track, so left-handed and galloping York asks a different question. Taghrooda, arguably an even more impressive winner of the King George, failed to back up here in 2014 when beaten at 1/5.
I’m happy to have a small each-way swing against her and with Minnie Hauk not at her best this year she’s worth taking on as well, the top two in the betting looking short enough against some interesting three-year-olds.
Joseph O’Brien’s Johanna Walsh is the obvious one after her emphatic Irish Oaks success, but at a much bigger price I’d rather chance the filly who finished second to her that day, INIS MOR.
David Menuisier’s filly has four lengths to make up on Johanna Walsh which seems steep enough, but the bare result does not tell the whole story as the winner’s stablemate, Rebel Moon, boxed Inis Mor in at the top of the straight allowing the winner to skip clear.
Once seeing daylight Inis Mor responded well to Oisin Murphy’s urgings to grab second and the daughter of Galiway, out of a Deep Impact mare, has more to offer over a mile and a half.
She’s certainly bred for a trip and she has improved each time she has gone out in distance, while her two-and-a-quarter length defeat to Diamond Necklace in the Prix de Diane gives her a chance in this company where 10-furlong gears count for plenty.
Like Kalpana, she looks versatile when it comes to ground conditions, but I think she’ll love every drop of rain and she’ll love the likely strong gallop set by Tattycoram and Sugar Island, with old foe Johanna Walsh likely to be up there too.
Such a scenario can help Murphy get her settled and racing efficiently, allowing the three-year-old to travel into contention before unleashing her finishing effort.
The Verdict: Back INIS MOR in the 15:35 York
Back the Wild thing in the Lowther
Thursday’s card begins with the 19-runner Group 2 Sky Bet Lowther Stakes where George Boughey’s Libertango holds favouritism after her Albany Stakes win, form that has been franked by Sun Goddess in Group 1 company subsequently.
Since Royal Ascot Libertango was beaten in the Duchess of Cambridge at Newmarket, and considering the way she weaved her way through to win the Albany I wonder if she’ll be vulnerable on this speedier track.
The big field will help, but with all her form on fast ground she has a bit to prove at 2/1 and I’d rather back Karl Burke’s WILD BLOSSOM.
Burke has an excellent record in the Lowther, winning it twice and having several others run well, and this filly got right back on track at Glorious Goodwood with a taking victory in the Alice Keppel Conditions Stakes.
She showed good speed that day on the far side, travelling well and quickening, but doing so in a manner that suggests she will get six furlongs now judging by what she had left in the tank at the end.
Crucially she hosed up on debut at Carlisle on freshly rained on ground Timeform described as ‘Soft’, bolting up by 10 lengths – a performance that marked her out as a big player in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.
She was simply drawn out of contention there, but she’s fared better in that regard here thanks to a central berth in 10, with several pace horses drawn around her for James Doyle to track.
Her Goodwood form is arguably the best in the field and with this speedy six a good platform for her to show her best qualities she looks a fair bet at the prices.
The Verdict: Back WILD BLOSSOM in the 13:50 York
May the Force be with Haggas again
In the Sir Kevin Sinfield 7 In 7 Grand Finale Handicap over a mile William Haggas has a strong fancy in Bullet Point but his second-string ETERNAL FORCE is well worth a bet.
The son of Dubawi was a rapid improver this time last year when winning on Good to Soft ground at Newbury and Haydock, the impression he made in those two runs so strong he went off 4/1 for this year’s Lincoln.
It didn’t happen for him at Doncaster, but Haggas had a fairly quiet start to the season and Eternal Force was back in the groove by the time the stable was purring in June, finishing a nose second to Diego Ventura at Hamilton, a frontrunner who nicked it off a steady early pace.
After that Eternal Force wasn’t suited by 10 furlongs on the all-weather at Newcastle, but dropping back to a strongly-run mile with rain in the air looks absolutely perfect for him.
Dylan Browne McMonagle rides for Haggas for the first time which is interesting, but not as important as the application of first-time blinkers which look significant.
Haggas has a fine record when utilising the b1 in handicaps, winning 28 from 168 at 16.67% to a £1 level-stakes profit of +£72.53 to SP, and Eternal Force could be a likely type to improve those numbers further.
The Verdict: Back ETERNAL FORCE in the 15:00 York
Burrows can pull a wonderful rabbit from the hat
Finally, Owen Burrows could cause a shock in the Listed British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes over a mile and a half with MERVEILLEUX LAPIN at 33/1.
Morrophore heads the betting here for the Gosdens but her best form is on the all-weather and she’s been off the track seven months, while if you take her out of the equation this is wide open.
Indeed, Merveilleux Lapin has form right up there with the second best of these and the daughter of Mohaather needs a strongly-run 1m4f to show her best.
She has hinted as much at Pontefract and Ascot this season, staying on well on both occasions for minor money and they should go a good clip here with the likes of Ashariba and Ryka in the field.
Formerly trained in Poland, she was campaigned in France at the backend of last season in search of better company and she ran very well in a Listed race at Longchamp in very soft ground.
Any rain will be in her favour, then, and with Burrows having a fine record at York (nine wins from 39 runners at 23%) she looks underestimated at the prices.
The Verdict: Back MERVEILLEUX LAPIN in the 16:10 York
Preview posted at 16:00 BST on 19/08/26
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