The Timeform and Sporting Life racing experts combine to provide their best bets for York on Sky Bet Ebor day.
SATURDAY
Nostrum - 1.50 York (Matt Brocklebank)
He may only be 1lb clear of his nearest rival on Timeform ratings, but NOSTRUM is open to plenty of further improvement after just five career starts and he could still make it at the highest level. A few people were quick to knock him for being turned over when odds-on favourite at Goodwood last time but the soft ground there seemed to hold plenty of quality horses back and this son of Kingman was a prime example. Up a furlong in trip and back on a sound surface, Nostrum remains one to be very positive about and anything odds-against looks perfectly fair.
Golden Move – 2.25 (Kieran Clark)
GOLDEN MOVE made a fine start to handicapping when victorious in a lower grade in soft ground at Doncaster last month, the form starting to work out well, and there’s a case of unfinished business about him. It’s easy to forgive his latest effort in a Shergar Cup contest when finding trouble as he began to make headway and remains at the right ed of the handicap. He is faced with firmer ground than previously but the son of Golden Horn should appreciate the step up in trip taking into account the way he saw things out on Town Moor and makes appeal at double-figure price.
Mutasaabeq - 3.00 York (David Ord)
He has a fantastic record fresh and over seven furlongs and everything is in place for a big run from MUTASAABEQ. He’ll handle whatever the ground throws at him and is easily forgiven his run under a rare hold-up ride in the Queen Anne last time. He’ll be a different proposition from the front back to seven on Saturday and could take a bit of passing.
3.35 – Real Dream (Lewis Tomlinson)
An archetypal Sir Michael Stoute slow-burner, REAL DREAM has been on my Ebor radar since the start of the season and he’s not one I’m willing to desert at this point. A 460,000 gns yearling of a Group 1-winning mare, Real Dream won at Doncaster maiden on his final start at 3 yrs before returning from the best part of a year off to make a successful handicap bow at Kempton in May. He shaped like the best long-term prospect in the field when third to the reopposing Scampi in the Jorvik Handicap at the Dante Meeting, often a key trial to this race, before proving very much suited by increased emphasis on stamina to score in 6-runner event at Ascot last month. The Ebor is evidently a deeper contest, but he dealt well with the cut-and-thrust of a big field handicap for one so inexperienced on his previous visit to this track and appeals as a horse who should have plenty more to offer granted this kind of test.
Purosangue - 4.45 York (Graeme North)
Thrown in at the deep end in the July Stakes after winning at Haydock on his debut by four lengths, PUROSANGUE raced too freely to see out the extra furlong, but he got back on track returned to five in the Molecomb last time when giving best only to Nunthorpe supplementary entry Big Evs. Down in grade here with nothing of the calibre of Mick Appleby’s charge in the line-up, he really ought to win the listed Julia Graves Roses Stakes with a couple of lengths to spare on all known form.
Oviedo - 5.20 York (Andrew Mclaren)
OVIEDO finished third in the Acomb here as a two-year-old behind Chaldean and Indestructible and was a good winner of the Zetland Gold Cup at Redcar earlier this season on his first go at this trip. He’s contested a higher grade of race on his two starts since and ran with credit on each occasion, particularly when third behind Al Aasy at Newbury last time, and this three-year-old looks a good bet in the finale back in a handicap getting weight from his elders.
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