Nic Doggett provides an overview of the key things to note on Saturday.
History repeating at York
The Queen Mother’s Cup (13:50) sees female amateur riders in the spotlight, with the winning rider traditionally going home with champagne equal to their own body weight, on top of a trophy and their share of the prize money.
A smaller field of just nine go to post this year – perhaps they’ve changed the prize? - with Becky Smith bidding to win the mile and a half handicap for the second year in a row following the success - after a stewards’ enquiry and demotion of the Megan Jordan-ridden My Dream World - of Chillingham last term.
Trained then by Ed Bethell, the portents weren’t great on his previous start at Musselburgh:
'...has won when fresh but was below form after 5 months off, the way he hung in the straight suggesting maybe all wasn't well on the day; mid-field, took keen hold, left behind from 2f out, hung right; he doesn't normally stay down for long.'
Now in the care of Micky Hammond, it’s a similar story, with his recent run at the track described as:
seemed to find this a shock to the system back on the Flat after 4 months off, unlikely to be reproducing his useful best any time soon on this evidence; slowly into stride, in rear, shaken up under 3f out, no response.
The same change of headgear takes place here, the horse is now 6 lb lower than last year, and it looks like the drinks will be on Smith once again in what is her last ride before she joins Micky Hammond on the training licence.
Not much on ratings between Grand Cup sextet
Talking of extra prizes, the winner of the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes (15:00) gets free entry to the August spectacular itself, which I think would normally cost about £2,500.
I suspect that none of Saturday’s field will run in both races, with all-bar-one - Roaring Legend – currently possessing an official rating of 110 or more (last year’s Ebor top-weight French Master was rated 108).
Accordingly, it looks a good renewal, led by Al Qareem who carried a penalty to victory 12 months ago. However, he ran very poorly at Chester last time – a course he had previously won at – so has something to prove, especially as Gregory and Roaring Legend are unlikely to allow him as easy a lead this time around.
Gregory, a Group 2 winner at three, hasn’t won since but has generally been tried at a higher level. He’s not been seen since a poor run in Saudi Arabia last February, and the market should help guide on his first start since wind surgery.
Just 6 lb separates the field on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings, with Mount Atlas just 1 lb behind Gregory. The former has looked a better horse this season and is respected, along with Epic Poet for whom the booking of Ryan Moore earns the ‘jockey uplift’ flag. The horse is yet to win here but has twice finished in the first three in the Yorkshire Cup and he’s always run well on the Knavesmire.
That comment also applies to Tabletalk who won the Melrose Handicap over C&D in 2024 and was only undone by a stop/start gallop set by the winner when third to Al Qareem in the Silver Cup here last July. Likely to come on plenty for his run in the Sagaro Stakes last month, he looks the value at the current odds.
Bank on Lloyd’s judgement Call
‘Extreme’ is a relatively uncommon pace forecast on the Timeform racecard, so it looks significant that it is predicted for the Churchill Tyres Supporting Macmillan Sprint Handicap (15:35), a six-furlong contest for three-year-olds that has been won by some smart sorts in the past including Twilight Son (2015), Mr Lupton (2016) and Quinault (2023).
William Haggas hasn’t won it since Sholaan waltzed five lengths clear in 2012 but he looks to have a leading contender with ‘Horse In Focus’ Thunder Call who tops Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings following a well-backed Kempton win – where he travelled strongly and quickly quickened clear - that suggests better is still to come.
Zac Lloyd might be a jockey name that is unfamiliar, but the 22-year-old Aussie, who landed the Golden Slipper in March, has been riding out in Newmarket, including for Haggas, ahead of some high-profile rides at Royal Ascot next week.
The dangers abound, of course, with hat-trick-seeker Red Spells Danger, Man Of Vision and Advertised all afforded plenty of respect, along with Ruby’s Angel who has both the ‘horses for courses’ and ‘sectional’ flags following a last-gasp success at Chester last month.
However, the best double-figure value could lie with Kind Touch. Owner Nicholas Wrigley has a long association with the racecourse and his lightly-weighted Kodi Bear gelding caught the eye in defeat over five furlongs at Musselburgh on his reappearance, caught out slightly for speed when the race developed but seeing it out well enough under hands and heels.
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