Our Sporting Life Podcast team offered up their best bets for this week's Sky Bet Ebor Festival at York.
FRAN BERRY – Limestone (Sky Bet Melrose, Saturday)
I’d definitely put in a good word for Emit, trained by Joseph O’Brien, in the Sky Bet Ebor. He’s 11/1 now and I think he’s a horse who has been brought along gradually this season. He looked quite big for his initial runs this term and ran very well at Royal Ascot. Over a mile-and-six on Saturday I think he can be a big player.
But over the same course-and-distance and from the same yard, my best bet is LIMESTONE in the Sky Bet Melrose. On our recent filming trip there Joseph did say this horse, having won the Queen’s Vase before bombing out in the Grand Prix de Paris, looked to be on a good mark off 105. He was keen to make full use of it and Ryan Moore has already been booked to ride.
I also like Al Azd in the Assured Data Protection Handicap if he rocks up there on Friday, he also has an entry at Hamilton. The form of his Ascot win is exceptionally strong and if he turned up at York off a nine pounds higher mark then I think he’ll be hard to beat given Ger Lyons’ horse, Diego El Queso, is second favourite and they wouldn’t be in the same parish with their corresponding form against Irish horses for me.
DAVID JOHNSON – Toca Madera (Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Handicap, Wednesday)
After his run in the Stewards’ Cup I said I wanted to back TOCA MADERA wherever he turned up next and I’m pleased to see he is declared in the opening five-and-a-half furlong race on Wednesday.
He’s a winner over five furlongs at Doncaster this year, obviously saw the six furlongs out well at Goodwood I think the trip on Wednesday will be absolutely fine. He’s run well at York on a few previous occasions and I feel with a bit more luck he might have won the Stewards’ Cup. He got caught on the rail and just as the principals were making their move, was stuck in traffic and absolutely stormed home.
That suggested he’s definitely on a mark from which he can win races, the handicapper has left him on 96 and crucially he has a nice draw in four. Obviously it’s an open race, you’re going to need plenty of luck, but Toca Madera is a winner-waiting-to-happen from this rating and I’ll start this particular project on Wednesday.
GRAHAM CUNNINGHAM – Mrair (Gimcrack), Amiloc (Lonsdale), Lancaster Tower (Convivial Maiden - all Friday)
I think there’s a bet in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes. I don’t think the bar for the sprinting two-year-olds is especially high at all and I like a horse called MRAIR. He won at a very short price at Lingfield and then got into all sorts of traffic trouble and still ran well in the Coventry. He’ll give you a good run here.
The Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup has a very different complexion now with no Scandinavia, no Trawlerman and no Rahiebb. AMILOC lost his rider at the start of the Goodwood Cup but I think he has a very good chance on Friday stepping up in trip.
And the other one I want to mention is LANCASTER TOWER for the King and Queen in the British Stallions Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes. He went to Sandown on debut with a very tall reputation and while he didn’t quite justify it, he travelled like a very good horse for a long way. He’ll improve a lot for that and is part of my Friday treble.
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